Captive
by WickedViolist
Summary: There is a war in Oz- Fiyero is a servant to Frexspar Thropp, and has no idea that Elphaba exists. When the two are imprisoned, they begin to fall for one another and must face the obstacles of the war ahead of them together, but will all end well? Will they come out unscathed? Lots of Fluff! R&R, and enjoy! (Better summary inside)
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The three main provinces in Oz: The Vinkus, The Emerald City and Munchkinland are in the greatest conflict in their combined histories. Although it was in its early stages, the Great War as it was infamously named was becoming the most costly war in the history of Oz and its surrounding areas. Each area wanted to claim the others and expand their cultures and ways of life, after much political unrest had built up over the years.

The Great War started at the expense of the Emerald City when the some high-ranking officials' plans were discovered to assassinate the King of the Vinkus. The Vinkus, as expected did not take lightly to this and made preparations to attack or defend at any means necessary.

As tensions built, it was expected that war broke out between the Vinkus and the Emerald City. Once traveling councilmen from Munchkinland were caught and killed in the crossfire, they quickly became involved as well.

Now, what Munchkinland lacked in strength, they made up with secrecy and hitting their enemies where it really hurt. Several years into the war, they managed to capture the Prince of the Vinkus, Fiyero Tiggular when he was very young. At the time, Fiyero never knew what was going on or what was happening to him, so he was very easy to manipulate.

Frexspar Thropp, Governor and leader of Munchkinland and it's forces, kept the prince close at hand, using him for simple work and chores in his own estate to ensure that he wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. He had two children of his own, Elphaba, who was green of skin and was shunned by her father, and most people who ever encountered her. Nessarose was the golden child, however she was paralyzed from the waist down due to complications from milkflowers that her mother took when she was pregnant, and as a result, their mother did not survive Nessa's birth.

So, Frexspar left the children alone, and as they grew older, Elphaba took on most of the duties of the house such as cooking and cleaning. Fiyero was almost always banned to the stables and the perimeter of the estate, only allowing to come into the mansion under extreme circumstances. Fiyero did try and escape a few times when he grew into an adult and realized what he'd been forced into, however the Governor's forces always managed to return him to the estate before he got too far.

So, the Thropp household was full of angst, anger, and aggression. From the introverted and emerald daughter to the frustrated and captive prince, the last thing the Governor needed was internal conflict in his own home to distract him from the war. However, little did he know, things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Chapter One

Elphaba stirred the contents of the pot, taking a deep breath of its aroma. She analyzed it for a moment, and put in a touch more salt and pepper and was satisfied after the newer smell pleased her nostrils. She checked the pan in the oven to see it turning a nice golden brown and she started to wash out the mixing bowl humming a nursery rhyme her mother used to sing her before she died.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard the sound of wood splintering and before she could act about what was happening, she was hit hard on the head with something heavy and metal. She could vaguely hear what her assaulters were saying, but soon enough she was knocked fully unconscious and all she dreamed about was how mad her father was going to be that she didn't have dinner finished on time.

She found her senses start to return to her and before she regained her sight, she could feel herself moving and she figured she was on some sort of wagon or carriage. She hesitated before opening her eyes, but when she did, all she saw was a man dressed in emerald armor, holding a sword in his hand. She was bound at the hands and feet, and looked at the man. He looked back at her with a blank stare and she said, "Where am I?"

He focused on her, "In a wagon on the way to your new home."

She looked around and said, "Why did you take me? Where is my sister?"

He squinted his eyes, "Why do you ask so many questions?" he sneered at her, sighed and said, "You're the governor's daughter, why wouldn't we take you? I have no clue where your sister is. Odds are you won't be seeing each other for a while."

She looked at him in disbelief, wondering the real reason for why she was here, what kind of prison she was going to, where her father was, where her _sister_ was. What even happened? She was cooking one moment, and the next she was here in this wagon, being watched by a very strange man.

"Where are we going?" she said, trying to get more of an answer.

He snorted, "I told you, to your new home. Now shut up before I shove a gag in your mouth."

That was enough to get her to stop talking. She rode in silence for who knows how long until the wagon came to an abrupt stop and the man motioned for her to get up. She did so without resistance and was escorted out of the back of the wagon where the sun was setting over the edge of a forest. When she tried to take in the rest of her surroundings, the guard covered her head with a burlap sack and everything was dark again.

She felt a strong hand on her back lead her for some time and when she felt the air change as she entered a building, her sack was quickly removed and what she saw almost stopped her heart.

In front of her was a large slew of prison cells, each a different size than the next. Some were already holding several inmates and they looked at her with a mean gaze. She was escorted down the corridor unto one of the larger community cells. The guard opened the door and she was pushed in, and before she could turn around the cell door slammed behind her.

She looked at all of the other inmates in her cell, which were all men. Her eyes grew wide at them, and she quickly found her way to one of the far corners of the cell on the unclaimed bed against the wall. There she sat on the bed and tried not to meet any of the eyes looking at her. She felt all of the eyes on her and she wanted to cry but knew if she did, there would be harsh consequences.

She took a deep breath, trying to picture herself somewhere else, somewhere she actually wanted to be, but she couldn't find a place to fit the criteria. She was there, sitting on this bed with a blank mind and all she could figure to think about was how happy she was to not have to worry if her father liked dinner for the first time in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, everyone! It's been a while. Hopefully this story will make up for lost time! I've missed you all dearly and hope you all are enjoying so far! There is a long road ahead of us (especially since I'm only on chapter eleven lol) and there is much more of this story to come, so sit back, strap in, and enjoy the ride!**

 **-Wes**

Chapter Two

Elphaba knew better than to sleep that night. Men were looking at her all night and she knew if she did drift away she'd end up regretting it. When the sun cracked through the small cell window, she felt a small amount of relief. Soon enough, a guard came around with the Wizard's crest upon his chest plate.

"Everyone on your feet. We're dividing you up." He said, and all the prisoners got on their feet. The cell door opened and several guards went in grabbing two or three people and one eventually made their way over to Elphaba. She was taken by the arm and shoved down the corridor until she came across another cell, which was about half as big as the one she spent the night in where two men and a figure sitting down in the corner, covered by a shadow were already waiting for her.

Both of the men were grimy and tall, and they looked at her with surprise. She kept her head down and went to the far corner of the cell, the men both following her with their eyes.

"A green woman," the taller of the two said.

"Who knew women came in green? You think they come in any other colors?" the other said, and the two laughed. She held her arms across her chest and they continued,

"Look at her, trying to ignore us! How rude of her."

They stepped closer, "You think you can ignore us, girl? Come on, speak up!" They got so close that Elphaba could feel their hot breath on her skin and it made her shudder.

One of them touched her shoulder, but in a moment the weight of his hand was retracted and her head shot up to find them both on the ground in a matter of seconds by this mysterious figure-the one that had to be in the shadow when she entered the cell.

"Touch her again, and you'll regret it more than you do now." The voice said. The figure stepped up into the light and Elphaba had to squint her eyes to be sure of the person in front of her.

"Fiyero?" she said, hoping to everything that it was he. It'd been so long since she'd seen him up close, so she wasn't sure if it was actually him.

He looked at her, with his piercing blue eyes against his caramel colored face, "Hello, Elphaba." he had a blank expression, and when he greeted her, he asked, "Are you alright?" he furrowed his brow in concern.

She, a little taken aback by his eyes, replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Th-thank you, Fiyero. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here." She sighed, and sat down on the opposite side of the cell, where the two men began stirring, cursing under their breath and rubbing their heads, clearly uninterested in Elphaba now.

She sat down and he sat down with her, "What happened?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero answered, "The Ozians took over- got your father where he least expected them to."

"Where is he?"

"Probably in the Emerald City being interrogated, I would think. Your sister might be there too."

"Then why am I here?"

Fiyero shrugged, "For the same reason I'm here, I guess. You should feel lucky- they didn't think you were anyone important since they put you here with the rest of us."

His words were cold, but she knew he meant them with truth. She was lucky she wasn't with her father or sister who were probably in a much worse place than she was.

"It's getting late." He said. Looking out of the small, high up cell window. "You should sleep."

She shook her head, "It's fine. I'm not tired."

"Elphaba," he looked her in the eyes, "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Please, you look tired. I'll be here the whole time." She looked at him and nodded her head, lying down on the hard mattress and Fiyero took a seat on the floor, supporting his back on the edge of the bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, she feel into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay guys! Don't forget to R &R...You guys rock!**

Chapter Three

Elphaba woke up to Fiyero sitting more in the middle of the cell eating a piece of bread. They were the only ones in the cell, and when he saw her get up he motioned for her to come and join him.

She stretched and made her way to the center of the cell and sat down and Fiyero handed her a piece of bread. "Where are the others?"

Fiyero spoke, "Good morning to you too." He smirked at her, "They got escorted out a few hours ago. Oz knows what happened to them." Elphaba bit into the bread and realized how hungry she was from the past few days. She quickly began to devour the bread and Fiyero watched in curiosity.

"What?" she said, her mouth brimming with crumbs, "I'm hungry. It's been days since I ate." She continued to eat and he began to pick at his bread. He stole a look at her while the two ate, and he eventually spoke up,

"You're very interesting, Elphaba." he said out of the blue.

She furrowed her brow, very confused.

"We've been in the same house for years and years and I hardly know anything about you."

Her brow stayed, "That's because my father-"

"Never let me within a hundred yards of you or Nessarose." He interrupted. She added,

"We just call her Nessa."

He sighed, a small smile coming to his face, "I rest my case."

Her face relaxed, "What are you getting at here, Fiyero?"

He went closer to her and sat down, a few feet across from her, "Well, we have some time to kill here, so I was thinking we could just talk." His face softened.

She looked around the cell, realizing what she was in for- she was in _prison_ with the man who made her the most uncomfortable of them all- all because she thought he was oddly luring. His crystal blue eyes stared deep into hers and she had to look away before she blushed, "How long do you think we'll be in here?"

He sighed, "I try not to think about it." He scooted closer to her, "Elphaba, I'm not going to lie to you, this may not end well." her expression turned to concerned, "We're prisoners of war."

"Do you think they'll barter with us?" she asked.

"Possibly, or things could get worse. They may start to interrogate us. They know who you are and who your father is."

"And you, Fiyero. The people who captured us could use you against your parents." She said, referring to his bloodline.

He cupped her cheek, and she almost flinched from surprise, "We have to stick together. We can't let each other lose it. This is only temporary until the war ends."

She nodded and he lowered his hand. She responded, "What happens if they win?"

"Don't think about 'if's', Elphaba. One step at a time, alright?"

She looked into his crystal blue eyes and found a sense of warm comfort that she'd never felt before, and nodded her head again, closing her eyes and refusing herself to release any tears.

"Hey," he said and she opened her eyes, "We're gonna be fine. We just have to stick together. I promise, Elphaba."

She sighed and some of the stress left her, "Yeah. I guess I just never figured anything like this would ever happen. This whole war has been going on for so long, and I never thought that they would ever capture us."

He responded with, "It's crossed my mind once or twice. I always figured it would be my parents taking me back, but that clearly is too good to be true."

She picked her bread back up and picked at it, "Do you ever think about them?"

He looked away from her, "Almost every day. No offense to you Elphaba, but your father isn't particularly a kind man to his servants slash prisoners."

She responded, "Nor to his least favorite daughter."

He looked back at her, seeing her expression descend, "Did he…hurt you?"

She sighed, looking away from him, "I-I don't want to talk about it."

He went to her side and said, "Elphaba, he's not here. Oz knows where he is or what he's in for. He can't hurt you anymore."

She took in a breath; "If I didn't clean correctly, have dinner ready on time, didn't answer a question, or even if he had a bad day. It's like I wasn't even his daughter." She wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't. Not now, not ever. She bit her lip and felt the tears welling in her eyes- years of frustration and abuse now coming to her, here in this prison cell with the most unlikely of partners.

He put an arm around her and she buried her face in her lap. He rubbed her back and said, "Elphaba, I'm so sorry."

She sniffled, meeting his gaze, "No, I'm sorry. I-I just-"

"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Elphaba. Its all over now."

She looked at his genuine smile through her teary eyes and felt a sense of relief come over her. For now, she was safe, and she was safe with Fiyero.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Elphaba woke up to shouting coming from the opposite end of the room. Before she could open her eyes, she was grabbed by the waist and hoisted out of her bed. Her eyes jolted awake to find one of the guards carrying her, and Fiyero coming towards him at lightning speed.

"Hey! Don't take her, take me! Let her go!" he shouted, meeting the solider who had Elphaba. Another guard came in and struck Fiyero with his hand, and Fiyero fell but quickly rebounded. "Elphaba!" he screamed, seeing her start to leave the cell. He started after her but was quickly put down by the guard.

Elphaba looked at Fiyero being beaten and it broke her heart, which was beating to fast for her to remember that she was being taken away. She heard, "It's gonna be ok! Stay calm, Elphaba!" as the guard rounded the corner and Fiyero was out of sight.

The guard who was holding Fiyero down gave him one final punch and left him on the floor. As soon as he was gone, Fiyero leaped up and went to the edge of the door, trying to reach for Elphaba.

"No, no, no, no!" he said, banging his fists on the cell bars, "Elphaba! Elphaba!" he called for her, but got no reply. After several attempts, he put his hands around his head in frustration. Elphaba was gone- and he was alone. Who knows what they were doing to her?

He paced the cell, trying to find some comfort. There were too many 'what ifs' in his head, and he paced for an unscripted amount of time. He was so angry and frustrated that he sat on the ground and in a moment of absolute sadness, started to cry. Elphaba was the only person he had. He'd known her for a few days, and she was his world. Everything he did he did to protect her- and here he was in the cell with the guards doing Oz knows what to her.

And he could do absolutely nothing about it.

Days passed. Fiyero didn't eat or slept and seldom drank. He felt empty and Elphaba consumed his thoughts. Every once and a while he thought he would hear her voice, but then his grim reality came back to him moments later. He was losing himself with every passing moment that he was without her.

He sat with his head between his knees and eyes closed. He took in a deep breath and lifted his head to see two guards walking down the hallway. He quickly got up, trying to see if Elphaba was with them. Another came around, leading Elphaba in chains. His heart leaped! She was alive, and for right now, that's all that mattered. He ran to the edge of the cell and saw that she could barely keep her eyes open. When they opened the door of the cell, Fiyero backed away and waited for Elphaba to come inside. They took the chains off of her and pushed her into the cell, causing her to fall on the floor. Before she hit the ground, Fiyero barely caught her, scolding the guards with his glaring eyes.

He picked Elphaba up and carried her to his bed, trying to analyze her physical state. He couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed, and when he laid her on the bed, she whispered, "Fiyero…"

He put the crude blanket over her and replied, "I'm right here, Elphaba. I'm not going to let them hurt you again, I promise. Just try and sleep."

She shivered and said, "I'm so cold, Fiyero."

Fiyero looked at her and slowly eased into bed with her. That's what they did in the stables when it was winter- there's no better heat than body heat. He draped an arm around her and she didn't object.

"I'm right here, Elphaba. I'm not going to let them hurt you." He repeated. Seeing her like this broke his heart a million times over. He couldn't let this happen again or it would break him.

 **Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

When Elphaba woke up, she was ready to make breakfast and help Nessa get ready. When she opened her eyes, however, she saw the view of her prison cell. It was dark and damp, a small group of vents were scattered along the top of the wall, which were out of reach. Her heart hurt for Nessa, and that is when she realized that she felt heavier than usual. She looked down to find a caramel colored arm draped over her side, and she stirred.

The arm moved and she felt Fiyero get up, "Sorry," he said, getting out of the bed and coming around to face her, "You were shivering and said you were cold, so I did the best I could." He examined her face and said, "How do you feel?"

She sat up and realized how sore she was, "Alright. How long was I gone?"

His faced grew more concerned as he said, "A few days. I saved food for you if you're hungry." He got up and uncovered a blanket that revealed several pieces of bread. He came back over to his bed and offered some to Elphaba, which she gently accepted.

"You must not have eaten very much, Fiyero. Are you sure?" she said, her eyes meeting his.

He smiled at her, "Don't worry about me, Elphaba. Please, eat." He pushed the bread towards her and she took a bite, her face a bit more relieved.

"Thank you, Fiyero." She said sheepishly.

He gave her a small smile, "I just want to make sure you're alright. Are you, Elphaba? What happened?" he said, looking at the floor.

She took a deep breath, "Well, they asked me really simple questions at first. Then they started to ask questions only about my father and what he was planning, what he was like at home, how many servants he had, etc. Then the questions got very specific and I had no idea what the answer was. They would ask and ask, and I didn't know- didn't have the slightest idea. Then they…they…beat me. Didn't give me any food or water. It…" she was trying to keep her emotions together, "It was just hard."

Fiyero's heart broke for her. "It's gonna be alright, Elphaba. We'll be out of here sooner or later. We just have to stick together." He sighed and looked at her, her brown depths showing the pain behind her eyes, and he couldn't help hold his stare.

"Fiyero?" she said, confused by his demeanor, "Is everything alright?"

He broke the stare and couldn't hold in his feelings, "Elphaba, I just have to tell you that I don't know what I would do without you. I know this all sucks, but I'm glad I have you here with me." he couldn't help but give her a small smile, "It's a shame, I should have gotten to know you sooner."

Through her pain and weakness, she smiled back at him hiding her blushing cheeks, "I always thought you were the mysterious type. You had me scared for the longest time. I was always afraid of you."

He was interested by this, "Really? That's not what I expected."

She continued, "You were this grown man that was from my father's arch nemesis. It was only natural for me to be afraid, the way he made you out to be."

"Hm. I thought you were…well, green." They both smiled, "I never heard you talk or do anything out of turn. You were always out of sight, and I only remember seeing you a handful of times. But I wanted to get to know you; I just never had the opportunity."

She smiled a tired smile, "Well, here we are for who knows how long in a cell that is ours to share." She looked at him and winced from a sudden wave of pain.

Fiyero bolted up, "Are you alright, Elphaba?" he said, getting closer to her.

She replied, "Yeah, just tired is all." She shivered.

"Are you cold? If you want I can stay with you again." His eyes gave her a glimpse of his genuine intentions, and she was quite cold. She looked at him and nodded reluctantly. He smiled at her and climbed into the bed with her, pulling her close to him by placing his arm around his waist.

Elphaba felt his warmth and couldn't help but smile and feel this odd sense of happiness that she'd never experienced before. She was in prison, she was hurt, and she was worried, but at least she had Fiyero. That, for now, was enough for her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Fiyero opened his eyes to find himself lying on his back and Elphaba with her head on his chest. He looked at her and smiled a stupid smile, so incredibly happy that she was with him. She was all he could think about, all he could dream about. She was his world and he'd only known her for a short time. He'd never felt this way about anyone else, and he only smiled more. He looked up at the cracked ceiling and pulled her in closer, and panicked when he heard the cell door open.

He looked over to see three guards entering the cell, and they all stopped for a moment to examine the couple. Fiyero stared at the guards with confusion and a furrowed brow, and then they started on them. They went to the bed in a split second and began tearing the couple apart. Elphaba shot awake and realized what was happening, and soon enough, they were separated.

The guards with Fiyero began to take him out of the cell and she called for him, "Fiyero! No!" she broke to her knees, the other guard letting her go and starting out of the cell. "Fiyero!"

He called back, "Everything will be fine, Elphaba! I'll be ok! I promise! I lo-" they rounded a corner before Elphaba could hear the last of his words. She stood for a moment in such shock and disbelief and after several minutes of silence, she broke down in tears, knowing what they would do to him. She couldn't live without him, she needed him to be with her, and now he was gone.

Elphaba collapsed on the ground in a pile of sobs and despair. What was she going to do? She wiped her tears and said to herself, "Elphaba, you can't break down like this." With her voice still quivering and tears still streaming down her cheeks, she continued, "You have to stay strong. You have to pull it together. You _have_ to pull it together."

She used the bar of the cell to pull herself up and sat on Fiyero's bed. All she could think about was what was happening to him at this very moment. How would they treat him? Would he be worse off than her? There were to many 'what if's' running through Elphaba's head and she wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to tear down the walls with her bear hands.

Through all of her thoughts, she sat there. She clutched the blanket they'd shared the night before and remembered the past several days with Fiyero. All her life, she'd never met anyone who cared about her at all, let alone asked her about her life in any way. Here was this beautifully intoxicating man who wanted to know every detail of her life, and she thought it was too good to be true.

Although, as she felt the blanket in between her fingers, she started to wonder if Fiyero was doing this only because she was the only one with him. They only had each other- and she knew in the real world he would never come within a hundred feet of her if he had the option.

So was Fiyero becoming so close to her because he had to?

Or because his intentions were genuine?

Elphaba had never felt so conflicted in her life. She'd never had this problem, she'd never had any friends, and having a romantic relationship never entered her mind. If she knew one thing for certain, she knew that Fiyero was about to endure literal torture, and that broke her heart. She sat there on his bed and felt every second tick by painfully. She tried to sleep, but none came.

Her thoughts were consumed with him, and she couldn't help it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Three days passed for Elphaba, although for her it felt like thirty years. She'd never endured such a wait in all her life. She didn't sleep, and she ate the absolute minimum amount to keep her thoughts fluent. She watched the vents at the top of her cell as the sun crept through it, hitting her eyes and causing her to close them.

When she turned to move, she heard commotion coming down the hallway, and snapped up to see two guards dragging a limp body with them. Her heart leapt and broke- Fiyero was back, but surely he was in a bad way. They came to the cell door and unlocked it, Elphaba staying far back. They threw him in the cell and he landed hard on the floor and they flung the door closed again, walking off without a thought.

She rushed to him, coming to his side instantly. He was barely conscious, "Elphaba…" he said, in a coarse whisper. She smiled at him and cupped his face in her hand, replying,

"I'm right here, Fiyero." Tears of happiness came out of her eyes and she examined the rest of his body, which had multiple welts, and gashes that had been covered by bandages. He had a blackened eye and cuts all over his face, but he saw her through his injuries and cupped her face, and she turned back to him. He smiled a small smile at her, revealing his white teeth and he said, "Elphaba…" in a slightly bigger voice.

She covered his hand with hers and smiled back at him trying to hide her small blush. She continued, "You're going to be fine. Everything is going to be alright." Her voice was shaking, and she added, "Lets get you into bed." She pulled him up with all her might, Fiyero helping her a little as he got into bed. She covered him with a blanket and he said, "I'm so tired…" in a whisper.

She went over to her bed and took her blanket and put it over him, saying, "Sleep, Fiyero." Her voice a little less shaky than before. As soon as she said it, he was fast asleep. She sighed a sigh of relief knowing that for now he was safe. He was alive. He was here, and she was immensely grateful for that. She looked at his peaceful visage, and yawned. She went back over to her bed and lie on it, finally allowing her mind to drift into a much-needed rest.

After a dreamless sleep, she woke up several hours later. She stretched and looked over to find Fiyero looking at her, a small smile on his face. She went over to him and offered him some water, which he graciously accepted.

"How long have you been awake?" she said, taking the water back from him.

He wiped his mouth, "Not long." He sounded closer to normal, the hoarseness still in his voice.

"How do you feel?" she said, examining his face.

He sighed, "To be honest, Elphaba, I don't really want to move anywhere. Every thing hurts."

Her expression deepened and she replied, "I'm so sorry, Fiyero." She tried not to think about what they did to him, "Is there anything I can do? You must be starving." She got up to get him food be he protested and gently grabbed her arm,

"No, please. Stay." She hesitated before nodding her head and sitting on the bed with him.

She sat at the foot of the bed and looked at the blankets while saying, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He took a moment before replying; "They asked me if I knew anything about my parents or about your father. I had nothing to give them, and then they started asking me about you and I didn't tell them anything. My silence did not go unpunished."

She wiped a stray hair behind her ear and didn't have the words to reply. He looked at her and said, "There was only one thought running through my mind these past few days."

She looked at him and replied, "What was it?"

He broke the eye contact and answered, "You."

All the thoughts of the past days came into Elphaba's mind. How much she'd missed him and all the doubts coming into her mind. She looked away from him and said, "You have no idea." She said it in such a soft voice that Fiyero barely heard it and he looked at her, his eyes begging to make eye contact with her eyes. When she did look up at him, he smiled at her and she hid her blushing.

"I missed you so much, Elphaba." he smiled at her through all of his pain and hurt, wondering how he got by without this woman in his life. She was all that occupied his mind all day every day, and even more so in his dreams. This was the woman of his dreams, his soul mate, his _person._ He wanted to tell with all of the fibers in his being, wanted to kiss her and tell her that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever.

He just looked at her, her brown eyes meeting his and he was the most thankful man in all of Oz because he was with Elphaba. He didn't care about the war or his parents, he just wanted her. That's all he needed- Elphaba.

She smiled at him and got up from the bed, heading to her own and pulling out some of her bread ration, "Here," she said, giving the bread to him, "Eat. You have to be hungry."

He ate and she sat back down on his bed. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Do you ever wish that you were with your parents, Fiyero?"

He furrowed his brow confused by her question, "Well," he swallowed, "I don't know. This all had to be fate, Elphaba. And I don't think things would have worked out the way they were supposed too if I was with them." He paused, "Why do you ask?"

She looked down at her hands, "Just wondering." The two of them continued having a light conversation while Fiyero ate, none of them saying what was really on their minds.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

 _There was a loud bang that woke the two of them, and three guards burst through the door. Fiyero snapped awake when one of them ripped Elphaba out of his arms and immediately he protested by hitting the guard in the face. She screamed for him and the two of them pinned Fiyero on the ground, laying a few punches into him. The remaining guard dragged Elphaba out of the cell and Fiyero watched as she disappeared and the other guards soon followed._

 _What seemed like months passed by, and there was no word of Elphaba anywhere. Fiyero, in a deep depression, spent his days in turmoil endlessly waiting for Elphaba to return. One day, several days later, the guards rounded that all-too familiar corner carrying a body with them. His heart jumped, and when the guards opened the cell door and dropped the body in the cell, his eyes widened and his heart dropped into his feet- Elphaba had returned, however this time she was dead._

"Fiyero!" Elphaba screamed, shaking him awake. His eyes snapped open to find the emerald woman standing over him, an intensely concerned pair of brown eyes staring at him. He shot up and was on the verge of tears when she asked, "Are you alright? You were screaming in your sleep."

He looked at her in the dimly lit cell and their eyes met. She continued, "What happened? Did you-" she was cut off by his passionate kiss as he cupped her face and brought it to his. Her kiss was clumsy at first because she was caught so off guard, but soon caught on to what was happening.

Fiyero deepened the kiss, trying to prove that she was there, living and breathing and not dead in a body bag. He broke the kiss when he needed air and she sat down on his bed, her hands now covering his. "I-I have to tell you something, Elphaba."

She looked at him, her eyes telling him to continue, "If anything happened to you, I-I don't know what I would do…" he said, searching her eyes for a response.

"What happened, Fiyero? What did you dream about?" she cupped his cheek and he slumped his head in defeat.

"You…you were taken and…when you got back you-you were dead." he couldn't look at her, because if he did he would have broken down in front of her.

"Oz, Fiyero." She sat down on the bed next to him and couldn't find the words to respond.

"It all felt so _real._ I-I just…I'm glad you're here with me, Elphaba. I don't know what I would do without you." He looked at her and they both embraced, Elphaba rubbing his back.

"It's alright, Fiyero. I'm right here. We're in this together, remember?" she sighed, "I'm really glad you're with me, too. I don't know what I would do without you." She broke the embrace and the two sat side by side for a moment in silence. "That…that was my first kiss." She said, almost blushing.

His pain immediately faded away and he smiled softly at her, "Really? Didn't seem like it."

She laughed, "You honestly think that, even if my father had let me, I would have ever had any kind of relationship?"

He responded, "I don't see why not." She laughed at him, "No, really Elphaba. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met." He said, somewhat seriously.

She shrugged him off, "Fiyero, I'm an artichoke. Green as the grass. Nobody will ever look at me like that. Who would want to be with some one who is…so different?"

He protested, "Elphaba, don't listen to them. Everyone else's opinion doesn't matter! You're…Elphaba you're so beautiful. I would never tell you otherwise."

She continued to deny it, "Fiyero I'm not-" he cut her off with his kiss, gentle yet intense at the same time. She deepened it, which Fiyero gladly accepted, cupping his face with her cheek and he wrapped his hands around her waist. After a few blissful moments, Fiyero broke the kiss and they rested their foreheads together. Elphaba couldn't help but smile and he continued, "Don't ever think that you aren't beautiful, Elphaba." she shyly went away from him, and he couldn't help but smile at her, falling head over heels in love with every passing moment.

He saw her get up from the bed and reached for her, "Hey, would you…? I'm just-"

She nodded her head after a moment of thinking, "Yeah. It's cold, anyway." She slowly climbed into bed with him and he wrapped a protective arm around her, saying,

"You know I would never let anything happen to you, right?"

She hid her smile from him and said, "Goodnight, Fiyero."

Fiyero slept soundly that night, without any more nightmares.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the mess with the last chapter! This is what you were supposed to read. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Over the next two weeks, Fiyero and Elphaba's company was continuously uninterrupted. There were no interrogations, no beatings, and the two were still constantly fed and taken care of. They received no news of how the war was progressing no matter how much they asked. Elphaba often wondered about her sister and father, but quickly brought her thoughts back to the present.

Fiyero and Elphaba shared a bed every night, especially since it was getting colder. They spent most of their days talking to each other or finding something occupying to do in the large cell they were held in. The cell was spotless, thanks to Elphaba, and every so often the guards would come by with their meals that they would always share together.

Both of them had completely healed from their previous 'interrogations'. Fiyero, especially had a few difficulties with his wounds, but, along with Elphaba's treatment, fully recovered and was only left with a few minor scars on his chest and back.

After the guards had brought them their evening meal of bread and a bowl of broth, Fiyero asked, "Elphaba, would you mind telling me about your childhood?"

She was startled by the question, "Why are you interested?" she replied, confusion in her voice.

He bit another piece of his bread, "Well, I just…I'm curious is all. If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have too."

She protested, "No, it's fine. I don't mind." She swallowed and continued, "Well, my mother died in childbirth with Nessa, which is why my father is so bitter towards me. I woke up every morning and made breakfast for everyone, staff included. Then I would clean from after breakfast until lunch, which the staff helped me cook. After lunch, I would help Nessa with anything she needed and clean the rest of the house, and start dinner. Dinner usually took a few hours to cook, so I was mainly focused on that. After dinner I would clean up while Nessa and father talked. They would retire, and I would too, after a few more clean ups here and there." She finished and he responded,

"That was your childhood?"

She looked at him and said, "Yeah. Not very ideal, but it could've been worse."

He could tell she wasn't telling him the whole story, but he saved that conversation for a later time, "Hm."

"Your turn." She said, continuing to eat her meal.

He looked at her with surprise and she continued, "I told you my childhood, now you tell me yours." She said, putting another piece of bread in her mouth.

He nodded and began, "Well, I don't really remember much of the Vinkus. Only a little- how tall the grasslands were, what the castle looked like. I-I don't really remember what my parents looked like. I was taken when I was six, and my first job at the estate was brushing the horses. When I grew older, I started learning how to ride them and when I was fifteen, I tried to escape."

"You tried to escape?!" she said with a gasp.

"Yeah, a few times. You didn't know?" she shook her head and he continued, "I got beat pretty badly the first time. I tried again when I was eighteen, got further than when I tried before- almost to the Emerald City- before my horse gave out. And I tried a year ago, when I was twenty-two. He…he almost killed me he beat me so hard." He said, straining to get the words out, "He used to beat all of us. For doing something wrong, or just because he had it out for us. It was hard, but…but it could have been worse." he looked at her, and noticed that she was crying. "Hey," he said, easing over to her, "Why are you crying? What's wrong, Elphaba?" he put an arm around her.

She sniffled, "I'm…I'm so sorry, Fiyero. You never deserved any of that…or any of _this._ "

He rubbed her back, "Elphaba, it's not your fault. None of this is-"

"He…he used to…beat me, too." She said, and she broke down in tears and covered her face in her hands, Fiyero continued to embrace her, holding her and whispering comforting words in her ear. She cried in his arms for a long time, and Fiyero told her, "He will never touch you again, Elphaba. I promise. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She wiped the tears on her cheeks away, "Fiyero…I-I…what is going to happen to us? Are we going to-to die in here?" the look on her face broke his heart over and over again.

He brought her closer to him, "No, we are not going to die in here. We are going to be _fine._ " He cupped her cheek, "Look at me, Elphaba." she met his eyes, "We are going to be fine, ok? Nothing is going to happen. We just have to wait this out." he looked deep into her eyes and saw the fear in her eyes and he wanted to wish it away at any cost. He brought her lips to his in a gentle and longing kiss, saying what he needed to say as he deepened it. Elphaba wrapped her hands around his neck and responded to his kiss.

Fiyero broke the kiss, against his temptations and rested his forehead against hers, sighing deeply. "Nothing is going to happen, Elphaba." she sniffled and nodded, smiling softly at him and cupping his face for a sweet kiss. He kissed her back and the two separated, Fiyero wanted desperately to hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her.

But he kept his composure and the two went back to their dinner, retiring shortly afterwards.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thought I would give a bonus chapter for the messup yesterday. This story is taking a little while to write, so bear with me people! I promise it will be worth the wait!**

Chapter Ten

"What about…El?" Fiyero asked. The two were still in bed, Elphaba's head on Fiyero's chest and her hand resting on his abdomen. Fiyero's hand covered hers and he absent-mindedly stroked her hair.

Fiyero was trying to come up with a nickname for Elphaba, something he'd been bringing up for a while. It was a 'mouthful' for him to say all the time, and every time he'd said something she'd just roll her eyes at him. That small gesture always led to a lengthy kiss, so Fiyero didn't really mind.

"No, that sounds too…too relaxed. I don't like it." She protested, her eyes still closed, ready to sleep again.

He sighed, "Ok…how about…Fa…Fab?"

She chuckled in her drowsiness, "Are you serious?"

"Fab…Faba…Fae! What about that?" he said, almost jumping out of the bed in realization.

She chuckled again, and didn't respond.

"What?" he said, looking down at her. He had confusion in his eyes, and she chuckled again.

"Nothing," she assured him, "I like it." He relaxed back into their previous embrace and sighed a sigh of content. It was like his mind forgot the war, the prison cell, and all of their worries. They were just two people living together in perfect harmony with no interference. There was still no contact with the guards, unless they brought them food. Fiyero, however, still got nervous every time they came around. He prayed every night that nothing would happen to the two of them. He had far too much to lose now.

"My turn." She said, which surprised him.

"What?" he asked.

She replied, "If I get one, you do too. You don't think Fiyero is a mouthful to say every few minutes?" he didn't object, and she continued, "Fifi?"

Both of them erupted in laughter, "Pass," he said, still chuckling.

"Hm…what about…Yero?" that one had been on her mind for a while. Fiyero brought her closer to him and replied,

"I like it. Yero it is." He kissed the top of her head and she smiled against his chest. He realized that now, now was the time to let his feelings out. He took a deep breath and began, "Hey, Fae?"

She responded, "Yes, Yero?"

"I…I want to tell you something. I've been thinking for a while now about this. We've been here for what, a month? Six weeks?"

She interrupted him, "Five weeks and three days, to be exact."

He continued, "Right. That's a long time to be surrounded by one person." He immediately regretted what he said, "What I meant to say was that-that we've spent a lot of time together. And in this time…" he swallowed, "I've realized that you are the most beautiful person I've ever met, inside and out."

She tensed, and started to get up from the bed, but he stopped her before she could push herself away, "I mean it, Fae." He cupped her face with his hand, gently, and said, "You're my everything. You're all I can think about from the moment I wake up until the moment I'm asleep. I don't make any kind of decision without knowing how you feel about it. You're all I care about- all I want to do is to make you happy with this crappy situation we're in." he took a deep breath, "Fae, I love you so much." Every emotion Fiyero had came to light with those three small words.

Elphaba's eyes widened at his words, she couldn't help but beam at him with tears of joy in her eyes! Fiyero loved her! She opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted with the noise of the cell door opening.

Both of their heads snapped to the door, knowing that this was not a normal visit. Three guards came directly to them, faster than the two of them could register, and snatched Fiyero from Elphaba's arms. Fiyero resisted, shouting for Elphaba, but she could barely understand what was happening. Everything was a blur, and before she knew it, the door was closed again, and Fiyero was gone- out of sight.

She didn't even get to respond.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Elphaba replayed the moment in her head at every moment. Everything seemed so perfect- time stood still for that one split moment- _"You're my everything. You're all I can think about from the moment I wake up until the moment I'm asleep. I don't make any kind of decision without knowing how you feel about it. You're all I care about- all I want to do is to make you happy with this crappy situation we're in." he took a deep breath, "Fae, I love you so much."_

But that time ran fast again when the guards took him away. After the past three days, she'd run out of tears to cry, but she continued while no tears ran down her face. She lie, immersed in his blanket in his bed, trying to picture being with him and absorbing his warmth. Every night she had nightmares about Fiyero- what the guards could be doing to him, how the war was going to separate them, and so on. This made her realize how uncertain their future was.

For three days every noise made her snap her head, wondering if it was Fiyero and she never found him coming down that infamous corridor back to their cell. She stopped looking at every sound, and sure enough the cell door opened later on that week.

She snapped her head around, but it wasn't her cell door they were opening.

She looked to where the noise was coming from, the cell directly adjacent to her. She ran to the side of her cell, which was barred on all sides except for the wall to the outside, and watched as they threw a beaten Fiyero into the cell and he slumped on the floor. As soon as the guards left, she said, "Yero?"

Fiyero heard her, and tried to open his eyes to see her beautiful visage, but all he could do was let out a slight grunt.

He was facing her, and she went down to her knees, holding on to the cell bars. He looked terrible. It was hard to see all of the little details in the poor lighting, but he was beaten senseless. He was slumped, but she could make out his shallow breathing.

She tried to hide her tears, "Yero…it's going to be alright, I promise. I-you are going to be okay." Her voice was shaky and she wanted to break down the bars that separated them and hold him in her arms. She wiped the tears that instinctively fell down her cheeks and just watched him lie there on the floor, his movements decreasing to the rise and fall of his chest.

Fiyero soon feel into a deep sleep, leaving Elphaba alone, sitting at the bars with dead eyes. She looked at his defeated body and realized the hot hatred she had for the war. Because of the war, she didn't know if Fiyero was going to live. She hated her father, Oz, even her sister. All she wanted in this crazy world was for Fiyero to be all right. She didn't care what happened to her- as long as he was safe and sound.

"Fiyero…" she whispered through her tears, "I love you, too."

Her heart broke for him a thousand times over. She felt a constant weight over her body that condemned her to the ground, barely able to breathe. She didn't keep track of how long she sat there. She didn't notice the food getting dropped off in her cell for her daily rations- she didn't care. She had no appetite, no thirst. She couldn't tell whether or not she fell asleep or not. She figured she did however she didn't care. All she cared about was Fiyero.

In all her life, no one had loved Elphaba. She'd accepted that she would always be lonely and isolated, away from everyone else. She never thought she would care about someone so much to the point of literally sharing his pain.

The thought did cross her mind- could she live without him?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Fiyero gently opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of a cell he didn't recognize. He started to panic when he realized his minimal ability to move, trying to get up when he barely could move a finger. He looked all around him, trying to remember what happened to him, and it all came to him in a flood of memory.

They grabbed him from Elphaba and took him to the usual interrogation chamber. He expected the normal treatment, but was greeted with much harsher methods of questioning. He remembered the bones in his body cracking with every punch, kick, and jab of whatever the guards threw at him. He remembered feeling the blood come down his face, and after a while, he stopped feeling pain, which he figured wasn't a good sign.

Things went black after a while and he woke up, in this unfamiliar cell and the first thought he had was to find Elphaba. Somehow, he sat himself up and saw the emerald woman gripping the cell bars that separated them and his heart leapt.

"Yero!" she said, getting even closer to the bars, "You're awake! Thank Oz!" he could make out her glassy eyes and her beautiful smile as she realized that he was indeed, alive. It took all of his strength, but he replied, "Fae…" in a very quiet voice, Elphaba almost missing his word.

She sighed a sigh of absolute relief and the tears slid down her face. She'd never been so happy to hear her name in all of her life. "Oz, Fiyero. Everything is going to be all right. You-you just have to save your strength." She sniffled, wiping her tears, "You're gonna be fine. Just try not to move so much."

He looked around the cell to find the cot located against the bars that separated his cell from Elphaba's. He figured it was about five or six steps away, and he decided to go for it. He crawled over to the cot, drowning out Elphaba's protests with his focus and reached the cot before she reached out and touched him, "Fiyero, don't strain yourself!" He continued to climb the mountain of the cot and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

He collapsed onto the thin bed and breathed heavily, wincing at the pain he felt from his wounds. Elphaba went next to him, only a few inches of iron bars separating them now. He looked up at her and took her hand, his chest rising and falling at a rapid rate.

She enclosed both of her hands around his and said, "Fiyero…Fiyero I love you so much." She whispered it to him, her heart breaking as she said it and watched him wince in pain. Tears ran down her face and when he heard her, his eyes shot to hers and he responded,

"I love you more than anything, Fae." He couldn't help but have a small smile on his face as he closed his eyes, wanting to sleep. Before he drifted off, he whispered, "You're so beautiful…" and Elphaba watched as he instantly fell asleep. She looked at the smile on his resting countenance and couldn't help but smile through her tears. Fiyero loved her and she loved him, and right now, that was all she needed.

She wiped all the tears off of her face and let go of his hand, letting it rest on his chest. She looked at him through the bars and he looked so peaceful despite all of his strife and pain. She felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world- that somehow all of the turmoil she'd been through was worth it in the end- Fiyero loved her. _Love._ The word was so unfamiliar to her, but she knew that whatever was to happen to them, they would always have each other at the end of the day, no matter what would become of them.

And she was ok with that.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Fiyero slept soundly for two days, never stirring or showing signs of waking up. Elphaba tried to keep herself busy in her big, lonely cell, but she mostly kept to the little corner with Fiyero's old bed that now resided directly adjacent to Fiyero's new bed, separated by the bars of the cell. She watched his chest rise and fall for hours and hours, counting the seconds until he finally woke up.

His piercing blue eyes blinked open and he took in a deep breath, rubbing his eyes. He looked around the cell until he found Elphaba's gaze and said, "Fae…" she tensed and got closer to the bars, "What…what happened?"

Her heart sank and she swallowed hard, "You don't remember?"

"I remember getting taken away…but everything else is black."

"They took you for questioning for a few days and you came back pretty battered. They separated us, and for a while I thought you weren't going to make it. You've been sleeping for a while." She dropped her stare from him and asked, "How do you feel?"

He sat up and winced, "Not great, but Oz, it's good to see you." He smiled through his pain and met her gaze, seeing her slightly blush as she returned the smile.

She sighed and asked, "So you don't remember what I said to you yesterday?"

He frowned, "No, unfortunately not. Care to repeat it?"

She bit her lip, and he beamed at her, "I-I don't know, maybe you should rest some more."

He leaned in closer to her and said, "Fae, I'm going to be fine. I don't want to go to sleep; I want to spend every waking moment with you. You have no idea-"

"I'm in love with you, Fiyero." She said, very quickly while spitting out the words. She covered her mouth in shock and watched his face as he started to show signs of blissful confusion.

He smiled and raised and eyebrow, "Would you mind repeating that? I didn't catch everything."

She blushed and took her hand away from her mouth. She hesitated before repeating, "I'm in love with you, Yero."

He responded with a beaming grin, "I love you too, Fae. You don't know how long I've wanted you to say that."

She smiled back, slightly blushing and added, "I did tell you when you got back, but you were…you don't remember." Her tone shifted, "I was going crazy without you here, Yero."

He reached out his hand to hers, and she took it, "Fae, I don't want to live without you. You are my salvation, my hope, and the light of my life. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, even if we are in a prison." He chuckled and so did she, "I love you so much, Fae."

She replied slowly, "I never thought I would find anyone that would make me happy. I never thought I deserved anyone, for that matter. I hope when all this is over, that we can still be together."

Her words broke his heart a thousand times over and all he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her, but the walls separating them prevented him and he then responded, "We're going to be together, forever, Elphaba. I swear it."

She smiled at him, and he wanted to look at that smile for the rest of his life. He brought her hand to his lips near the cell bars and kissed it, saying, "You are my everything." He looked at her and she could tell that he was tired. She let go of his hand and replied,

"Sleep, Fiyero. Don't wear yourself out. I'll be right here when you get back."

He nodded, silently and replied, "I love you, Fae." As his eyes started to droop.

She smiled and replied, "I love you too, Yero." She watched as his chest fell into a regular rhythm of breathing, and she, too found sleep- her last thoughts of Fiyero and their most uncertain future.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Several days passed. The two remained separated from each other, a barred wall in their way. Fiyero recovered over the few days, his wounds started to scar and he was up and walking most of the day. The two spent several hours in silence at a time, not needing to speak to each other to know how they felt. Neither of them felt like they were losing their sanity- in fact, they were so thankful to still be with each other, even if a wall separated them.

Now, Fiyero looked at Elphaba through the bars and asked, "What do you think you'll do when this is all over?"

Elphaba, who was cleaning away from the wall, stopped and turned to him, "Depends on who wins."

He couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, which she returned. "Alright, but if you could do anything- if the war didn't exist afterwards, and you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?" he sat patiently waiting for her answer.

She thought for a moment, wondering about that absolute freedom, and replied, "I don't really know. Probably go somewhere or just enjoy the fact that I don't have to be around my father anymore. Just the idea of freedom is enough for me. Whatever comes from that would make me happy."

He smiled at her simplicity. She looked at him with a furrowed brow and asked, "What would you do, Yero?"

His smile grew further and he looked away from her, "I-I would marry you, Fae."

His response shocked her, and she couldn't help but beam. When he looked back up at her his smile continued, "Because you are the love of my life and I don't want us to ever apart. I'd marry you and have a family with you; back in the Vinkus- you'd love it there. The summers are full of wildflowers and wide sunsets and the winters are cold and snowy. I'd make you a princess, Fae, Oz, even a queen!" he stood up and went to the bars, and she continued to stand there, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Fae. I'd give everything if we were able to get out of here, together." He put his arms through the bars and rested them, and she came over and cupped his face through the bars, Fiyero putting his arms around her,

"I love you, Yero." He could see the shine of tears in her eyes and comforted her,

"You are the light of my life, Fae. You are my everything."

She looked up at him and replied, "No one has ever cared about me, no one has ever loved me-" tears began to fall from her face, "I just-I just don't deserve you, Yero. You give me purpose. And I can't believe that a guy like you loves a girl like me."

Fiyero wiped the tears away from her eyes, "You are the most beautiful person I've ever met, Elphaba. No matter what happens, we'll always be together. Forever."

Elphaba was so invested in the man in front of her, she almost didn't hear the door barge open. Both of their heads snapped in the direction of the sound, and the both looked back at each other, fear in Elphaba's eyes.

Before they knew it, someone had broken down Fiyero's cell door and he was faced with several guards whom he did not recognize- they were wearing all black and masks, making them seem like shadows- moving so quickly and before he knew it, they were making their way towards Fiyero.

He turned to Elphaba with a terrified look on his face that made her cry in fear- he started to say something, but before he could finish they guards knocked him on the back of the head with something heavy, knocking him unconscious.

Elphaba screamed and before she could call for help, she too was knocked unconscious and both of them dropped to the floor and were removed from their cells by the guards.

Anyone care to review? Would mean a lot!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

-One Year Later-

Fiyero rose from his sleep, the sun waking him up from his dreamless slumber. He looked outside to see the Vinkun grasslands, and he sighed a sigh of emptiness. He found his clothes and before getting dressed, looked at the scars on his chest and arms and remembered where they came from. Every day he remembered. The only time he didn't remember, was when he was dreaming- even then he would often dream of his imprisonment. He would dream of how they beat him, how many days he spent there, and there was never the absence of Elphaba.

He thought about Elphaba from the time he woke up until the time that sleep claimed him. A year ago, when he woke up from being unconscious, he learned that the Vinkus had won the war- his parents sent soldiers to rescue their son, and so he was rescued. Elphaba, however, was not. When he woke he found himself on a carriage heading for his parents' castle. As soon as he realized where he was, Fiyero jumped out of the carriage in search for Elphaba, and was soon tackled and subdued back on the transport. He had to be restrained from trying to leave again, and he was committed to finding Elphaba.

When he returned to the castle, for the first time in over a decade, Fiyero saw his parents. The king and queen broke down in front of him, and Fiyero was glad to see his parents, but he needed Elphaba. He soon told his parents, Zale and Avva, and the two entertained his request for a short time, but soon dropped the conversation entirely. His parents didn't do it purposefully, however they were more concerned with the state of Oz than their son's prison acquaintance.

So, a year later, Fiyero dressed himself and went to breakfast with his parents, greeting them both rather blankly, "Hello Mom, Dad."

Avva replied, "Hello, honey." She swallowed a bite of her food and looked to her husband and continued, "Fiyero, how are you?"

Fiyero picked at his plate and didn't look up, "I've been better."

His father looked at his wife and picked up the conversation, "Fiyero, we've invited someone to visit the castle. It is very important that you make a good impression."

He looked up at his father, "Who is it?"

His father replied, "Glinda Upland, from Gillikin. She's coming with her father to discuss our new agreement."

Fiyero furrowed his brow, "And what agreement is that?"

Avva answered, "That you two will be married."

Fiyero stood up and exclaimed, "What?! Are you crazy?! You expect me to marry a complete stranger without even telling me about it?! What about….what about…"

"What about what, Fiyero?" his father asked sternly.

Fiyero snapped back, "Elphaba! What about Elphaba!?" He tried to calm down, putting his hands on the table, "She is my world, Dad. Weren't you and mom like that? You're parents didn't want you to get married, but you did! What about me? Do you want me to be unhappy for the rest of my life?!"

His father slammed up, pounding his hands on the table, "You won't have the rest of your life if this doesn't happen!" Both men calmed down, Fiyero very confused, "We need this alliance or else the entire country will be in conflict." He sighed, "Fiyero, we don't want to lose you ever again. That was the hardest thing we've ever been through. This-this has to work. And we need you to help us."

Fiyero snorted and walked off, heading outside of the grounds. He had to clear his head- this couldn't be real. He didn't want to marry anyone but Elphaba. For the past year, that's all he wanted to do- he would give anything just to see her, hold her, Oz, even kiss her again. He loved his parents, and he would do anything for the Vinkus, but he just wanted Elphaba.

This past year had been the worst of his life, and he saw no end in sight.

It gets better! Hold on you guys!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Elphaba woke in the early hours of the morning like most days. She didn't have nightmares every night, but tonight was one of those nights. She woke in a cold sweat and couldn't help but remember. She thought about Fiyero every moment she was awake-and she hated herself for it. She knew that she would never see him again, but couldn't resist thinking about the only man who showed her love and care and compassion. Fiyero now was only a memory, and although she was sad, she was grateful for the time they had together.

After the Vinkus' victory, Elphaba was sent around to serve the various allies of the Vinkus. She would find herself transported to some nobleman's house for a time and do what she'd done her whole life- care for a household. However, for some odd reason, she was shuffled around quite a bit. She'd been to houses where the men were just like her father, cold and abusive, as well as those who showed her great kindness. It varied from house to house. She served over twenty masters over the course of the year, and now she was in the most esteemed household she'd ever served- The Upper Uplands in Gillikin.

As well as cooking and cleaning, she was the main handmaiden of the couple's daughter, Glinda Upland.

"Zip me up, Elphie!" she squealed. Glinda was a bubbly, blonde-headed woman around the same age as Elphaba. 'Elphie' was the nickname she coined for Elphaba soon after she came to Gillikin. She'd been serving Glinda for the past few weeks, so the two were becoming good friends in Glinda's eyes.

Elphaba zipped Glinda's dress and she squealed, "Perfect! He's going to love it!"

Elphaba smiled at the blonde's happiness, "When does your family leave, Miss Glinda?" she asked.

Glinda replied, "Oz, Elphie, please call me Glinda! We're basically sisters. No need for such formalities. We plan to leave later tomorrow! I'm so excited! I'm meeting my fiancé for the first time tomorrow! Oz, I wonder what he'll look like?"

Elphaba started to clean, "I'm sure he'll be wonderful." She said, turning away from her.

Glinda looked at Elphaba and asked, "Elphie, have you ever been in love?"

A sudden pain hit Elphaba. She stopped what she was doing and slowly turned back to Glinda with shiny eyes, "Well, yes."

Glinda's eyes widened and she rushed over to Elphaba, "Elphie! Details. Now."

Elphaba shook her head, "Glinda, I don't know. It's really hard. I don't want to talk about it."

Glinda softened her expression and replied, "Alright." She sighed, "But you loved him?"

Elphaba smiled in her weakness, "He's the light of my life. He was the only person who ever cared about me, and we were going to be together forever. I don't even know where he is now."

She hugged her friend and Elphaba was caught by surprise. She returned the hug, however, and Glinda asked her one final question, "What was his name?"

Elphaba broke the hug and looked at her friend, "Fiyero."

Glinda smiled at her and wiped the tear that fell from her eye, "He sounds like a very lucky man. I'm sure he's out there somewhere, Elphie. And once I'm married, I'll help you find him, I promise."

"Glinda you don't have to do that-"

"Of course I do," Glinda interrupted, "That's what best friends do for each other." She beamed at the green girl and the green girl smiled back.

"I've never had a best friend before." Elphaba said shyly.

"Well, you picked a good one to start with!" Glinda exclaimed.

The two laughed and they continued to pack for Glinda's trip to the Vinkus, "Elphie?"

"Yes?" Elphaba responded.

"Pack your bags, we're going to the Vinkus!"

"Oh, Glinda, I should stay and look after the house. I cant-"

"As my faithful handmaiden, you must accompany me!" she smiled again and the two had a newfound relationship that Elphaba was sure to lead to something good.

Happy Thanksgiving! So thankful to all of you that read! Thanks for sticking with me!


	17. Chapter 17

**Don't forget to review!**

Chapter Seventeen

Elphaba rode with Glinda in the carriage the following day to the Vinkus. The two talked the entire way, about Glinda's nerves, Elphaba's life, and many other things. Elphaba watched as the forest countryside turned into vast fields of grass and wildflowers. It reminder her of Fiyero, and a pang of sadness hit her every time she thought of him.

Glinda caught little hints of Elphaba's sadness and tried to cheer her up, however, the further they traveled into the Vinkus, the more Elphaba couldn't help but think that Fiyero was growing closer and closer. She wouldn't know what to do if she saw him again, but the idea alone made her want to break down and cry. She tried not to think about it.

The pair reached the outside of the castle, Glinda grabbed Elphaba's hand and looked at her with a nervous face and Elphaba covered her hand and said, "He's gonna love you, Glinda. Don't be nervous. Just be confident in yourself." She smiled at the blonde and the blonde hugged her. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the carriage to see the king and queen waiting for her.

Zale and Avva quickly greeted the blonde with introductions and hugs. As they turned to guide her into the castle, Elphaba stepped out of the carriage and Avva saw a flash of green and her head snapped back to the carriage. How many green women were in Oz? There was one green woman she'd heard a lot about, and what were the chances that this was Elphaba? Avva took Glinda and gestured for Zale to look back, and his face turned to concern. Glinda didn't notice the king and queen's distress and they quickly guided her to the castle, leaving Elphaba to gather and unpack Glinda's things.

Elphaba, with the help of some of the servants, found their rooms and started to unpack Glinda's things. Soon after, Glinda appeared in the room, "Elphie!"

Elphaba turned to the blonde, "Hey! How is he?"

She went to her, "Oh, I haven't seen him yet. They said he's coming for dinner, so I'm here until then."

"How are the parents?" she said, interested.

"The king and queen? They're so kind! They've been wonderful so far!"

Elphaba smiled, "I'm so happy for you, Glinda. He's going to love you." Glinda went to her green friend and hugged her. Some time passed until the queen came to their door, and Glinda jumped up, "Hello, your majesty."

"Hello Glinda. I'm here to summon you for dinner." Avva glanced in Elphaba's direction and Glinda looked at Elphaba,

"Oz, your majesty, this is Elphaba." Avva winced. Her fears were confirmed and she tried to hide her worry, however Glinda picked up on it, "Your majesty, are you alright?"

Avva restored her composure, "Yes. A pleasure, Elphaba. Glinda, please, follow me." Avva turned and led Glinda away without another look at the green girl. Glinda looked at the green girl, shrugged, waved, and closed the door, following Avva to the dinner table.

Glinda went to the dining room, taking a deep breath before walking in, her eyes going to the beautiful man whom she was to sit next to. He had piercing blue eyes and caramel-colored skin, broad shoulders and a hardened look on his face. This was him.

He looked up at her with his crystal blue eyes and forced a smile, extending a hand to her, "It's a pleasure…"

"Glinda." She said, taking his hand, "And the pleasure's all mine-"

"Fiyero."

"Fiyero." Glinda repeated, her eyes growing wide. Could this be the same Fiyero? Surely it can't be. She kept her cool and sat down, separating her gaze from his eyes. Dinner was fine, although Glinda couldn't look at Fiyero without feeling terrible. The one person who she was supposed to marry was the love of her best friend's life.

When dinner was over, the family went their separate ways and Glinda found herself in the gardens, staring at the moon wondering what she was to do.

Elphaba, after waiting several hours in the room by herself, wandered out of the room, turning down the many hallways in search of Glinda. She was worried and before long she found herself in a large parlor with a fire blazing at the end of the room. Several paintings decorated the room, but it was too dim to make out faces. She found a man's figure sitting by the fire and hesitantly she approached, "Excuse me sir, I'm looking for Glinda Upland. Have you seen-"

The man shot up and went closer to Elphaba, and what she saw next made her breath catch in her throat and tears well in her eyes. She recognized those blue eyes from the depths of her soul. It was Fiyero.

Fiyero recognized that distinct voice and couldn't believe his ears. He shot up and went in that direction and saw the dimly lit green skin and he almost fell to the floor. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand and he stuttered out, "Fae?!"

Elphaba gave in and went to him, embracing him as tightly as she could, letting the tears fall over and her heart explode with happiness. She wrapped her hands around his neck and he breathed in her familiar scent and embraced her as tight as he could. She cried into his shoulder and he repeated, "Fae, Fae, Fae…I missed you so much," into her ears. The sound of his voice only made her cry harder.

He soon broke the embrace and kissed her with his entire being, and she responded with the same. Neither of them could believe what had occurred- the past year had been the hardest on them, and this seemed too good to be true.

They broke apart and sat down, both Fiyero and Elphaba needing answers.

"How…how are you here?" Fiyero said, touching her face to make sure she was really there.

"I'm-I'm Glinda's handmaiden. After the Vinkus won I was back to doing what I always was doing- cleaning. I got shuffled around for a while and here I am." She came to the grim reality in front of her, "You're getting married to my boss."

"I'm not getting married to your boss. Not anymore." He sighed and brought her closer, "Oz, Fae, I thought you were dead." She came in closer and rested her forehead on his, Fiyero closing his eyes at her touch,

"I'm right here, Yero." She kissed him slowly, and he responded to her kiss by deepening it.

"I cannot live without you. I cannot _be_ without you, Fae. Please, don't ever leave again."

She cupped his face and said, "I promise, Yero." She looked around and said, "I should get back to Glinda." She started to pull away and he took her arm,

"When can I see you again?" he asked, his eyes pleading to see her again.

"Tomorrow night? Maybe some place where people can't accidentally run into us. Just send word- I'll be around." She smiled at him and his heart leaped! How he'd missed that smile.

She turned to go and before she left the room he said, "Fae?"

She turned back to him and replied, "Yes?"

"I love you so much, and I'm so glad you're here, despite the circumstances."

She blushed, "I love you too, Yero. More than I can ever express to you. Goodnight." She went back and kissed him one final time before leaving to find Glinda's room again.


	18. Chapter 18

**Don't hate me! Sorry guys, lots of stuff going on. Hope all is well!**

Chapter Eighteen

Elphaba opened the door to Glinda's room slowly, expecting the blonde to be asleep, however she was surprised to see Glinda sitting and waiting for Elphaba.

The two stood in silence for a moment, either one unsure what to say. Finally Glinda broke the silence with, "I had no idea it was him, Elphie. I didn't know his name until tonight! And when I found out I-"

Elphaba interrupted her and replied, "It's alright. You couldn't have known." Elphaba sat down, "I don't know what to do." She looked up to her friend for advice and Glinda answered,

"I'm not going to marry him." She said firmly.

Elphaba interjected, "Glinda, you have to! This alliance is important to Oz, and your father-"

"My father will understand." She sat next to Elphaba, "Elphie, you love him. And even if I did marry him, I would regret it for the rest of my life- and he would never love me the way he loves you." She paused, "Let me talk to my father when he gets here. Until then, I'll help you two figure out what you need to do. Did you see him tonight?"

She sighed, "Yes. I went looking for you and accidentally found him." She smiled, looking back on the new memory, "He hasn't aged a bit. We talked for a while, and he said to meet him tomorrow night. I don't know where though."

Glinda walked over to the green girl, touching her fondly, "Don't worry, I'll speak to him and arrange everything." She smiled at her, "It must have been unimaginable, seeing him again."

Elphaba turned to her and replied, "I never thought in a million years I would ever meet him again. It doesn't feel real- this all feels like a dream. Fiyero is _here._ " She said, almost smiling. She pushed back her joy when she realized, "But I feel like we can never be together."

Glinda hugged her friend, "Don't worry, Elphie. All of this is going to work out. Just let me take it from here." Glinda reassured her friend and made mental notes to talk to Fiyero and figure it out. The pair soon retired, Elphaba running her conversation with Fiyero over and over in her head failing to find any sleep.

Fiyero found no sleep that night. All he wanted to do was to go to Elphaba and look at her to make sure she was really there. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much he loved her. He lie awake the entire night until the break of dawn crept through his windows and he forced himself out of bed.

He dressed slowly and went outside of the castle to try and gather his thoughts and the fresh air, sadly, did him no good. He knew if he were gone for long his parents would send for him to be with Glinda. The thought of her made him sick, and the thought of marrying her physically repulsed her.

He made his way back into the castle to breakfast where the rest of the family and Glinda had already gathered. He could barely look at her, knowing that Elphaba was somewhere near. He kept to himself over the course of the meal and when they were dismissed, he quickly fled from the table to clear his head.

Glinda followed him and caught up with Fiyero before he could reach his bedroom door.

"Fiyero," she said firmly, and he turned to her without speaking. She hesitated, "When would you like to see Elphaba again? She said something about tonight-"

"Why are you doing this?" he said, his eyes piercing into her soul.

She was very intimidated by him, and replied, "Because I know that she loves you and I know you love her." She blinked at him and he crossed his arms,

"I don't know you, and I don't trust you."

She quickly replied, "I don't expect you to. However, I trust Elphaba. She's the best friend I ever had, and I care about her happiness. I imagine you do as well, so where should she meet you tonight?"

Fiyero was somewhat perplexed by this woman. He could tell she was genuine, but he was still hesitant to trust her. He uncrossed his arms and replied, "The patio underneath the balcony, outside of the dining hall."

Glinda nodded and said, "She'll be there." She turned and left a confused Fiyero, stranded in the hallway.

Glinda returned to Elphaba shortly and as soon as she closed the door to their room she exclaimed, "Underneath the balcony!"

Elphaba beamed at her friend- her anxiety fading at her friend's news. Fiyero was no longer a dream or a memory- but reality! She hugged her friend with excitement and nervousness, not knowing what the next encounter would bring. However, the next encounter was coming!


	19. Chapter 19

**Don't hate me! This story has been incredibly hard to write, and things have been busy over here. I am committed to finishing it though, no matter how hard it is. Hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter Nineteen

The hours went slowly for Elphaba, each passing minute feeling like an eternity. She did mindless tasks around the room, trying so desperately to pass the time. Her mind wandered to what this next encounter would be like, and she couldn't form a solid scenario in her head. Fiyero completely bewildered her- here was this man whom she loved so deeply and shared such a firm connection with and she couldn't tell what was to come from their next meeting. Her mind often wandered to the memories of her imprisonment, the good and the bad, smiling at the beautiful relationship they shared. However, now, she was uncertain of how he felt about her- a year was a long time to be apart from someone.

In all her pondering, night did approach, and so did the time to meet with Fiyero. She saw Glinda before she left, the blonde giving her a hug and some kind words of encouragement. Elphaba couldn't believe what luck she'd had with Glinda. She was so incredibly thankful for her.

She made her way carefully down the corridor until she reached the door leading to the location. She took a deep breath and opened the door, looking out unto the vast grasslands, glowing in the reflection of the moon. The beauty took her breath away, and, for a moment, she lost herself in the stillness of the nature around her.

"It's beautiful this time of year." Elphaba almost jumped at the sound of Fiyero's voice. She turned to see him standing against a column and he locked eyes with her, "Hey, Fae."

She stood her ground and replied, "Hey, Yero." He gestured to a nearby table and the two slowly went and sat down, sitting across from each other. Elphaba looked out to the moon once more, and Fiyero smiled at her intrigue.

"I figured now would be a good time to talk." He said, and she nodded, not really knowing how to start the conversation. He picked up on her hesitation and spoke, "How have you been?"

Elphaba was curious to his questioning, "Well, things have been better lately, so I'd say I'm doing fairly well." She bit her lip and said, "Why did you really want to meet with me, Fiyero?"

He sighed and replied, "Because you're the only person I care about, Elphaba. Ever since we were separated, I haven't stopped thinking about you."

"Yero, a year is a long time-"

"It's a very long time especially when you miss the love of your life." She looked at him with a slanted stare and he replied, "What are you afraid of?"

She looked away from him and shook her head, "Oz, Yero. What do you think? You have to get married! You're a _prince_ , for Oz' sake! And I'm…I'm just a servant." The last phrase caused her to put a hand on her forehead and avoid his gaze. The grim reality she so desperately wanted to escape was now right in front of her- her soul mate, whom she couldn't be with.

Fiyero saw the sadness in her eyes before she hid them from him, and it broke his heart. "Fae," he said gently, "I know it may not seem possible, but we've gone through so much more than this. This is trivial compared to what we went through. We can get through this- Glinda is on our side. My parents will come to light and this will all be behind us before you know it." He continued, "Fae, look at me." she lifted her hand and met his eyes, "I love you more than I can tell you. This past year hasn't changed anything for me and I'm going to fight until we can be together."

She looked at him and said nothing, only getting up and going over to him and he stood and embraced her, holding her tight and vowing to himself to never let her go.

Elphaba held Fiyero tight and wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her head in his shoulder, remembering his scent from so long ago. She didn't want to cry, but the warmth and safety of the arms she found herself in caused her tears to spill over. She loved Fiyero with every fiber of her being and she didn't want him to marry anyone else. She never thought herself the marrying type, or the type for anyone frankly, but here was this beautiful man who wanted to be with her forever.

Fiyero broke the hug to wipe her tears and kissed her forehead. He smiled and said, "Don't cry, Fae." He gave her a sweet kiss and continued, "Everything is going to work out, I promise." She looked at him with glassy eyes and returned the smile, hugging his chest and replying,

"I love you so much, Yero."

"I love you too, Fae." He held her for a while and the two broke and decided to retire. Fiyero walked her back to Glinda's room and asked, "Fae?"

"Yes?" she said.

"I was wondering if you wanted to stay with me tonight." He said, scratching is neck, "I don't sleep well, and I was-"

"Yeah." She said, smiling at him. He beamed at her and took her hand, leading her back to his room. He stripped off his shirt and gave her some of his clothes to wear as pajamas. She came out wearing an oversized shirt and shorts, and he smiled at her, and the two got into bed. Elphaba laid her head on his chest and Fiyero kissed the top of her head. The two soon feel asleep, a smile on Fiyero's face.


	20. Chapter 20

**Holy Cow this is long overdue. I am so SO SORRY for the delay! I'm in college now, things have been different. I'm on chap 37 as I am posting this and hope that I didn't lose you guys. I hope you enjoy and get ready for the rest of this story! Woooo!**

Chapter Twenty

Elphaba snapped awake at the sound of a scream. She quickly got up and looked around to see the source of the screaming, finding it to be Fiyero suffering from a nightmare. He was yelling and perspiring, thrashing about the large bed. Elphaba went to the other side of the bed closest to him and grasped his shoulders, trying to wake him up. He resisted her for a moment before snapping awake, and gasping for breath.

"Oz, Yero, are you alright?"

He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath, "Y-Yeah. Sorry, Fae. I-it's just…it hasn't been-"

"Do you want to talk about it?" she said, as she found a small towel and began to dab his damp forehead.

He sighed, "It's always about the prison. What they did to us. It never goes away or becomes fuzzy. It's so vivid all the time and it never fails to scare the heck out of me." he confessed, looking into her eyes.

She frowned for a moment, thinking of how much he was affected by their imprisonment. She could understand- she had nightmares too, just not as often as he did. She dabbed his forehead and replied, "Yeah, I have them too."

Fiyero looked into her eyes and continued, "I don't want to do this without you, Fae."

Elphaba stopped and said, "Fiyero, it's been a year since-"

"Have your feelings changed?" he said bluntly.

She hesitated, "N-no, but I don't know if I've changed. A lot has happened since we were together and we've only interacted together in that prison. What about normal, day-to-day stuff? What are you expecting?"

"Elphaba-"

She caught herself and quickly rebounded, "I-I'm sorry, Yero. I just- there's a lot going on right now and I really want it to work- I really do, but it seems a little farfetched sometimes. We're here- by some miraculous turn of events, which I still cannot connect- and the future is so unbelievably uncertain. I could ruin you, Fiyero- do you understand that? You could have the rest of your life _ruined_ by me and this fairytale ending you have in your head!"

Fiyero didn't say anything. He hated thinking of the realities of his situation and he knew Elphaba was right.

She sighed, "We just have to deal with this step by step." She came over to him and sat on the bed, and he rested his forehead on hers, which she melted into. She closed her eyes and confessed, "Sometimes I feel like this isn't real. Like it's all a really nice dream and when I wake up I'll be back in that cell."

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead. She gave him a slow, sweet kiss in return and the two retired once again. Elphaba had her head on his chest and drew circles with her finger around his abdomen, while Fiyero stroked her hair.

Before they fell asleep Fiyero said, "If this is a dream, I'd never forgive the person who woke me up."

"And if that person who woke you up was me?" she said, yawning.

He laughed, "I'd never let you out of my sight again, Fae. Biggest regret of my life."

She slightly tensed, "Fiyero, it wasn't your fault-"

"I know, but- I could have kept looking for you…done something than just give up like I did. I felt…empty- so incredibly empty inside without you, Fae."

She closed her eyes, feeling his exact emotion, "I love you so much, Yero."

"I love you too, Elphaba." he kissed the top of her head and the two soon drifted off to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Elphaba woke to the sun hitting her eyes from the nearby window in Fiyero's room. She squinted her eyes as she rose from his chest, and he too stirred from his sleep to see Elphaba's stretching figure.

He couldn't help but smile at the green woman in front of him and when she saw his smile, she frowned at him and said, "What?" in a tired voice.

His smile grew bigger and he replied, "You're so beautiful."

Her expression softened and she gave him a sweet kiss, "Good morning."

He returned the kiss, "Morning, Fae." He stretched further and asked, "What time is it?"

Elphaba's head snapped up- the time! "Oz, Fiyero! I have to get back to Glinda!" she exclaimed before starting to dart out of the room.

"Woah, woah! Where are you going?" he said, catching her arm before she said,

"We have to keep this on the down low. No one can know- your parents, the staff, no one. I have to go!" Before she left, he took her in for one more drawn out kiss. She regrettably ended the kiss and darted out of the room.

Elphaba scurried to Glinda's room as quickly and quietly as her legs would take her. She closed the door behind her with a sigh of relief, as she saw no one on her race back. However, when she opened her relieved eyes, she saw Glinda, arms crossed in front of her with a suspicious look on her face.

"Elphaba Thropp, where have you been?!" she said, keeping her gaze.

Elphaba blushed and shook her head, "Glinda, it's not what you think! Please, we didn't do anything!" Her eyes pleaded with the blonde.

Glinda stepped closer, "Continue." She simply said.

Elphaba swallowed and replied, "We were talking and we just slept together. Literally. We used to share a bed in the prison when it got cold and we-"

"Prison?!" Glinda said dropping her arms in shock and confusion, "You were imprisoned?!"

Elphaba hesitated, "I-I thought you knew, Glin." She gestured towards herself; "I was taken from Munchkinland and held captive for months, Oz, maybe a year. Fiyero was taken with me, and we were together the entire time. He- he cared for me and we…we spent every moment together." She slowly sat down and Glinda went to her friends' side. She looked up to Glinda and asked, "I never told you, Glinda. I'm so sorry." She saw Elphaba's eyes begin to well with tears and Glinda replied,

"Oh, Elphie, don't cry! You don't have to say anything else." She rubbed Elphaba's back and Elphaba protested,

"No, you deserve to know." She nodded and Glinda nodded back, taking the seat next to Elphaba. Then, Elphaba continued, "We…we were never _together._ He never pushed me or anything like that. He was the first person who ever cared about me, and it took a while, but I fell for him, Glinda. He loved me so much and I thought we were going to be together, forever. He wanted to marry me." She said, smiling faintly at the memory, "But then the Vinkus won the war and took him away. I got shuffled around for a while before I came to your family. And here we are- with my boss engaged to marry the man I thought I would marry." She looked down at her hands in sadness and Glinda touched her shoulder,

"Elphie, I'm so unbelievably sorry." She sighed, "I don't know how, but we're going to fix this."

Elphaba looked at her with sad eyes and took a deep breath. Glinda smiled a small smile at her and in that early morning, Elphaba felt the small twinge of hope that would get her through the day.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Avva and Zale sat in Zale's study discussing the miraculous turn of events- the one girl they stopped looking for turned up at their doorstep with the woman Fiyero was to wed.

And they knew how he was going to react.

"He's going to refuse to marry Glinda." Zale said to his wife. Avva sighed and replied,

"Does she have any sort of political standings at all? Where is she from?"

Zale replied, "He said something about Munchkinland, however the chances of her being from a substantial house are slim to none." He sighed and his wife asked,

"Do you feel remorse?"

Zale answered by nodding his head, "We should have kept looking. He's going to be furious."

Avva asked, "What we going to do?" she said, anxious for an answer.

"He has to marry Glinda. We have it all worked out and if we lose this alliance it will undoubtedly start another war."

"We have to figure something out-" before Avva could finish, Fiyero opened the door and his expression worried her. "Oh, hello Fiyero." Her mother said warmly.

"Mom, Dad, do you know who is in this castle?" he said coldly, peering at his parents for their response.

His father sighed, "Elphaba." he continued, "Fiyero, we know that this girl means a lot to you, but you have to-"

"Means a lot to me?! Dad, she is the only person I can think about! She's all I could think about for two years of my life- and she turns up out of nowhere and you expect me to marry a complete stranger?"

Avva chimed in, "Yero, we can't afford another war. Gillikin will come after us if we break this deal. Do you realize what happened the last time we were in a war?" Fiyero remained silent, "We _lost_ you, Yero. You were taken from us, and we didn't get you back for over a decade. We will _not_ lose you again." she said sternly.

"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore. No one is going to take me anywhere." He ran a hand through his stubby hair, "Listen, Elphaba is all I ever wanted. Can't you understand that? I can't lose her again."

Avva and Zale looked at each other, and Zale replied, "Fiyero, I don't know what to tell you. We have to make sacrifices for our nation and our people. As your parents, we want you to be happy, but as the King and Queen our first duty is to our people."

Fiyero looked at his parents and had no rebuttal. They were doing the right thing and he knew that he would never forgive himself if he were the start of another war. He simply sighed and left the room, his mother's heart breaking as he left the room.

He went to Glinda's room, a sullen look on his face. After knocking on the door, Glinda answered and he said, "Is Elphaba here?" Glinda, a little confused, let him and sitting on a stool was Elphaba, sewing.

She looked up to find Fiyero's plaintive face and she furrowed her brow and asked, "What's wrong?"

He started towards her and she stood as he wrapped her in his arms, and she curled her arms around his neck. She could feel his distress and rubbed his back as she tired to soothe him. He broke the embrace and said, "They…they won't let us-"

"Be together…" she finished for him. Her face dropped slightly, but this was the response she was expecting. She was a servant, nothing more to Fiyero's parents and she knew that he had a duty to his country.

So, the sighed and replied, "Yero, I'm sorry, but I don't think there is a way out of this." She looked him in the eye and saw the sadness and disappointment looming in his complexion.

"I'm so sorry, Fae. I-I thought that I'd be able to figure this out." Elphaba saw tears in his eyes and she knew that this was the end. She never really thought that she'd actually have to go through this, but the inevitable had come- in the form of a distraught Fiyero- and it absolutely broke her heart.

Tears stung her eyes and she buried her head in his chest, holding him, never wanting to let go. He responded by holding her tighter, and his own tears fell out of his eyes.

Glinda stood there, watching the strongest bond of love she'd ever seen start to crumble. She covered her mouth and slowly and quietly left the room to give Fiyero and Elphaba space. Her heart broke for them, and she couldn't bear to watch anymore. The thought soon came to her that she would have to marry Fiyero after all, and it made her weep for her friend.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Elphaba, after three days, finally left Kiamo Ko and headed back to her former home- Munchkinland. She and Fiyero barely spoke as she left, the pain weighing them both down like the weight of the world was on their hearts. He made arrangements for her to leave and all interaction was avoided.

As she watched the grasslands of the castle fade into the distance, she shed a single tear for the love of her life. She knew she had to leave, and she honestly didn't know how her life was to go on- her whole way of thinking had revolved around Fiyero for the past two years and she had no idea where to begin without him. The only thing she knew for certain was that she was headed to Cowlen Grounds- her former home- not knowing who the current residents were or if her father and sister were even alive.

She swallowed hard as the castle disappeared into the horizon and for the first time since getting kidnapped, she felt terrified. Absolutely chilled to the bone.

Fiyero watched as the carriage disappeared into the extent of the grasslands and as it faded into nothingness he wanted to scream. He wanted to yell, and curse, and hit anything in his path, and he wanted to get on a horse and catch up to the carriage and tell Elphaba that they could get married and that everything was going to be alright and that they could be together.

However, he contained himself as the carriage rode away, and when it was gone, he sat down on the floor, realizing that the love of his life, the only person he ever wanted to be with, was gone. He'd cried enough tears for a lifetime over the past three days, and he couldn't gather enough strength to cry now. So there he sat, watching as the grasslands blew with the morning breeze, and he didn't know what to do.

Glinda started out of her room and saw Fiyero sitting on the ground and hesitated before continuing down the hallway. He looked up at her and didn't say anything, and she said, "Fiyero, I'm so sorry that all this happened."

He nodded at her and replied, "I just don't know what to do, really." He rubbed his head and Glinda couldn't really respond. The constant thought of marriage in her mind made her very uneasy, and she couldn't help that Fiyero was thinking the same.

She said her peace, "If you want to talk about it, I'm here," and then walked away. Fiyero watched her leave and his thoughts almost ceased to exist. Thinking about a life without Elphaba was unfathomable, and that's what he was faced with.

The journey was quicker than Elphaba had expected, and she reached Munchkinland before she made up a plan. The driver was instructed to take her to the Governor's Mansion, and before she knew it, she was standing outside of the front door.

Nothing really had changed, the exterior looked very similar to what she could remember and the surrounding landscape was trimmed and clean. She suddenly grew nervous thinking that her father was still here and her mind began to panic.

She looked around thinking about her options, but before she could decide, a man emerged from the interior of the house. Elphaba froze.

He was taller than a munchkin and had a look of concern on his face. His skin was tan, and his green eyes were looking at her with such interest. He was very strongly built, and had silky brown hair.

He studied her for a moment before asking, "Are you Miss Elphaba?"

She was taken aback. How did he know? Then she realized she must be the only person in Oz with green skin. "Who are you?" she responded quietly.

"I'm Taj." He paused, "Oz, where are my manners, please- come in." she followed him into the mansion and took in her surroundings. Nothing had changed, and she was slightly confused about this man and why she was in this house.

"Where are my father and sister?" Elphaba asked, and Taj turned around to face her.

"Miss Elphaba, I'm so sorry, but unfortunately they were killed during the height of the war."

Elphaba wasn't surprised nor did she feel very much emotion. Sure, they were her family, but she used the term "family" loosely. Now the question was-

"Then what is going on here?" she asked, confused.

Taj replied, "Oh, Miss Elphaba, we've been searching for you for years. To take your rightful place as Governess of Munchkinland."

The words hit Elphaba like a ton of bricks. _Governess of Munchkinland_. She didn't know whether to be excited or terrified, but she looked at her new responsibilities optimistically for the first time in her entire life.

 **Anybody out there? :(**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hope you all are enjoying! This thing is so flipping hard to write...!**

Chapter Twenty-Four

Two months passed and the news of the restoration of Munchkinland was heard of all throughout Oz. Elphaba had begun her service and was taking Munchkinland back to it's former glory. The economy was booming, employment was up, and people were happier than they'd been in years.

The people had also fallen in love with their new leader. The day Elphaba took office had been renamed as a holiday in her name; people constantly sung her praises in the streets on a daily basis, and Munchkinland was thriving as a result.

Elphaba woke up every morning with a certain weight on her shoulders, however. Every time she closed her eyes she thought of Fiyero and they life they could have had. She saw those piercing blue eyes whenever her focus was averted, and whenever she saw them she felt sick to her stomach. Some days she couldn't eat or sleep because of the guilt and sorrow she felt.

Taj had been especially helpful to her during these tough days. He knew everything- from the prison to finding each other again. They grew as close friends as the weeks of working together passed. They often spent their meals together and worked countless hours rebuilding Munchkinland's infrastructure.

Life, in Elphaba's eyes, was good, and she was thankful for the cards she was dealt.

Fiyero woke up like every morning and learned to appreciate what was in front of him. Ever since Elphaba left, he'd been in a dark abyss that no one could help him out of, but recently he'd decided to be thankful for the good things in his life.

Did he still think about Elphaba most waking moments? Of course. But he was grateful for the moments where his mind was so focused on work or learning that he forgot about her, even for a moment.

Fiyero didn't know where she was or what she was doing, besides her being a success around Oz. The Vinkus didn't reestablish communications with Munchkinland after the war, so they were in the dark with all of its prosperity these last few months.

Fiyero and Glinda were engaged with their loving support of the entire Vinkus. He proposed (after some suggestion by his parents) in the weeks following Elphaba's departure. He didn't love her, and he saw her effort to try and love him, but he was grateful. It could be worse, after all.

One brisk morning, Fiyero's father called him into his quarters. The two sat down at a table and Zale started, "Fiyero, we need you to go to Munchkinland."

Fiyero was slightly shocked, and replied, "Why?"

Zale continued, "The country is producing better numbers than they have in decades and we have no real information. We're going to try and rebuild our relationship with them. Go there, bring the gifts your mother and I have set up for you, and come back with a newfound friendship."

"Dad, you know that's where Elph-"

"We don't know where she is. We haven't heard or seen anything from her since she left." Which was true, Zale and Avva did try and look, but they were in the dark.

Fiyero took his father's words, nodded, and prepared to leave for Munchkinland. While he was preparing, he told Glinda of the situation and only one thought was in her mind,

"What if you find Elphie?" she said, her hand softly clutching her ring finger.

Fiyero sighed and replied, "I don't think it's going to happen." He looked up at her and said, "I don't know, Glinda." He saw her worry and went and embraced her. "You and I are engaged. Don't you trust me a little bit?" he said, smiling a small smile at her.

The look of worry left her face and she gave him a sweet kiss, "Go. I'll see you when you get back- I want to hear all about it!" The two bid farewell and Fiyero was left to prepare, Glinda's question still left in his head-

What would he do if he found Elphaba?

 **Review? :D**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Elphaba consulted with Taj like she did every morning to sort out her daily agenda. Usually it started with paperwork, the meetings, lunches, galas, etc. She was busy from sun up to sun down with the dealings of Munchkinland, and she embraced every task with excitement and dedication.

Taj began, "Well, there is a representative from the Vinkus coming this afternoon to discuss a new trade relationship." Elphaba froze and hoped that Taj wouldn't notice. He didn't.

"Do you know who they are sending?" She said, trying to sound more curious than confused.

Taj shook his head no, "They were very vague. You should be cautious with them." Taj then moved on to the next item on the agenda, but Elphaba could only focus on the fact that Fiyero could be coming to her home. She felt elated and terrified at the same time, not knowing how to react to this unexpected visitation. She tried to busy herself with the rest of her tasks, but as the day drew on, her fears grew worse and worse.

Fiyero arrived in Munchkinland later that afternoon. With an anxious heart, he watched as the Governor's mansion grew closer and closer. All the memories of his young adult life came flooding back to him- the escape attempts, the work, the poor housing, and that beautifully intriguing emerald girl who fascinated him. He watched as the familiar landscape refreshed his memory and he took a deep breath before getting out of the carriage.

He went to the front door of the mansion and knocked, a tan man with green eyes greeting him when he opened the door.

"You must be from the Vinkus. I'm Taj, please follow me." The man let him in and Fiyero followed. As they walked down the corridor, Fiyero never remembered ever being let into the mansion. There were portraits of Frex, Nessa, and who he thought to be Elphaba's mother. Taj walked quickly and Fiyero was soon led to a door. Taj then gestured, "Whenever you're ready." and left Fiyero alone, facing the door.

He didn't know what to expect, so he took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Elphaba was reading her morning documents when her door suddenly opened. Her head snapped up as her heart raced faster than it ever had before, and before she knew what was going on, Fiyero was standing in front of her looking more handsome and mature than ever.

"Oz….Fiyero?!" Elphaba said, removing her reading glasses to look at him more closely.

Fiyero's jaw dropped. Elphaba was right in front of him and he had no idea what to say. "You're the Governor?!" he said, in the most shocked he'd ever been in his life.

She studied him and said, "Forgive me, I'm kind of at a loss for words here." She took a deep breath, "Please, take a seat."

Fiyero sat, and looked at Elphaba. She'd definitely grown in the past few months physically and mentally, seeming more aware and more mature. "I wasn't expecting this." he said.

She chuckled and smiled a little, "Yeah, me neither." Oz, he'd missed that smile. "How is everything in the Vinkus?"

He sighed, "That's why I'm here, actually. We need help, and we'd heard that Munchkinland was thriving under a new Governor." He smiled at her, "I cannot believe it."

She looked down and smiled, "Yeah, I came back here and Taj had been waiting for me. Everyone had been waiting for me to come back and take over. So I did." She sighed, "Things have been going rather well recently."

Fiyero sat up straighter, "My father sent me here to make a trade deal. The Vinkus is in trouble, and no one has been able to help, or wanted to help. Plus, we thought it was a good idea to reach out to Munchkinland. Since all of the conflicts are over."

Elphaba furrowed her brow, "Fiyero, I don't know. Munchkinland is doing very well, and I don't think a trade agreement right now would be in the best interest for us."

"Fae-"

She winced at the name.

"Elphaba, listen, let's try and work something out."

She stood, and he stood out of respect, "You can stay here as long as you like, but I don't think it's in the cards for us, Fiyero. Taj can show you to a room." She left the room, and as she exited, Taj entered, ready to escort Fiyero to a room. His jaw dropped as she left, shocked at so many things- her power, her protection for her people, and her feelings towards him, which he was very unclear about.

He needed to come up with a plan, so he headed to his room and brainstormed on how to win her back.


	26. Chapter 26

**Would love some reviews! Hope you guys like it, still not done with it LOL**

Chapter Twenty-Six

Elphaba proceed to her room and cried. She cried until there were no more tears left in her. The man who she thought was her soulmate, the love of her life who she'd just started to get over, was back, talking about trade agreement which she truly had no interest in. Her feelings were so unbelievably conflicted.

There was a soft knock on the door and she had no response. If it was Fiyero, she didn't want to hear from him.

"Elphaba, it's Taj."

She sniffled, "Come in." He did and saw her emotional state, before he could ask what was wrong, she started, "It's the guy from the Vinkus. I'm fine, really."

He hesitated, "You don't look fine."

She took a deep breath and replied, "Did I ever tell you why I came back to Munchkinland?"

Taj sat down next to her, shaking her head no. She sighed and started, "That man's name out there is Fiyero Tiggular. He's the love of my life and he's engaged to another woman. I left the Vinkus because we couldn't be together and now he's here and I don't know what to do."

Her voice was shaky and he rubbed her back in comfort.

"Oz, Elphaba. I-I didn't know. I would have never-"

"It's not your fault. Oz, it's not even my fault. I never expected him to come here. I was just starting to move on- everything here was going so well and I was forgetting him." She sighed, "And then he walked through my office door."

Taj rubbed her back in comfort, "I can ask him to leave. The Vinkus is desperate, Elphaba. We're thriving over here and they are just envious."

She sniffled and took a deep breath, replying, "I'll let him stay for another day or two. Maybe he'll make me an offer I can't refuse."

Taj comforted her for several more minutes before leaving her in her room. Elphaba took a hard look at herself in the mirror, vowing to be strong. She sighed, left the mirror, and retired for the rest of the night.

Fiyero woke the next morning, wondering if this whole situation was a dream, however, he was rudely awakened by the reality around him. He dressed and started to wander around the mansion in search of the emerald mystery that was Elphaba.

He walked past her office door and peered into the open doorway to find Elphaba sitting at her desk, reading and writing papers. He studied her for a moment before she said, "Can I help you, Fiyero?"

Fiyero, stunned that she actually noticed him watching responded, "Uh- I wanted to ask you to dinner."

She stopped what she was doing, took off her reading glasses, and gave him a disappointed look, "Fiyero, I don't think that-"

"It's not what you think," he interrupted, "I just want to catch up."

She sighed, "Sit down." surprised, he did. "What would your fiance say to you right now?"

Fiyero hesitated before responding, "How did you know about that?"

"The Vinkus may be cut off from the rest of the world's communications, but your news still gets out." She leaned back in her chair, "Fiyero, you're _engaged._ " she sighed, "What are you doing here?"

Fiyero ran a hand through his hair, "Things can change, Elphaba. You're the leader of Munchkinland for Oz' sake! This changes everything!"

Elphaba sat, silent in her chair for a moment, "I said goodbye to you, Fiyero. I left because what we had couldn't work- you and I both knew that. I left so that you and I could move on. You have Glinda, and I'm here in Munchkinland. So why are you here asking to 'catch up' with me when we both know what that really means?"

Fiyero was shocked at the Elphaba in front of him, "What does it mean, Elphaba?"

She responded quickly, "You can be happy with Glinda! I know you can't see it right now but down the road-"

Fiyero stood as he interrupted, "Elphaba, you're the only person I'm happy with. You are the air in my lungs, the reason I get up in the morning, my _everything_. You are the love of my life. My soulmate."

"Fiyero-"

"And Glinda knows all of that. She knows how much I love you and I've tried so hard- believe me- to forget you. I tried for weeks on end to push you out of my mind, but no matter how hard I tried it only made me think about you more." he paused, "Don't tell me you haven't thought about me for the past few months because I know you have."

She tensed and hesitated before saying, "Fiyero, I love you. I've thought about you every day since I left. I thought about you every time that you were taken back in the prison. You are all I think about. I wonder how you are, if you still remember those days as well as I do, if you think about me, if you're eating enough, if you sleep, if you sleep with Glinda," her eyes started to well with tears and her voice began to shake, "How you're going to look on your wedding day, how many kids you'll have. I wonder about it all. All the time."

Fiyero looked at her and whispered, "Fae," her tears spilled over and she covered her eyes with her hand. He moved to comfort her but she held up her hand in protest. Her watery eyes met his and she said,

"I know what a broken heart feels like, and I would never wish that pain on anyone, especially Glinda."

Fiyero was quiet for several moments and he replied, "Fae, please. We can figure this out. I can talk to-" he was cut off while Elphaba rose from her chair, met him, and kissed him. He immediately responded and drew her in deeper, wrapping his arms around her back and waist while she engulfed his neck with hers. When the two broke, Elphaba simply looked at the blue eyed man in front of her. Fiyero understood this look, kissed her again, swept her up, and carried her back to his room.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Elphaba woke up later that afternoon and forgot where she was for a moment. When she found herself in Fiyero's bed, she almost panicked, but then remembered the memories of the past few hours. She was blushing, recanting the moments of blissful ecstasy. She lie with her head on Fiyero's bare chest, and he still slept soundly, his arm secure around her. She looked up at his sleeping figure and smiled a soft smile, before returning her head and proceeding to draw lazy circles on his defined abdomen, too many thoughts running through her head to go back to sleep.

Fiyero stirred soon after Elphaba. He yawned and as he stretched, he tightened his grip around Elphaba, never wanting to let go. After his yawn he said, "Hey."

She replied, "Hello."

He leaned in and kissed her sweetly, which she graciously accepted. She sighed and he asked, "How do you feel?"

She took a moment before responding, "Good. A little sore, but good." He laughed.

"I take it you enjoyed it then?" Elphaba blushed,

"Enjoy would be putting it lightly." she shied away from him, "I bet it wasn't as good for you as it was for me."

Fiyero replied quickly, "Oz, Fae. You're like, Cloud Ten. Only better. You're so unbelievably perfect in every way I can't even begin to explain it." he met her eyes, "I love you so much, Fae."

She looked at his crystal blue eyes and his intensity almost made her cry. She'd missed him so much and there were so many emotions surrounding her; she'd never thought that she would love someone so much.

"I love you too, Yero." she said with glassy eyes, taking his cheek in her hand. They leaned their foreheads in and rested them on each other. They both closed their eyes and Fiyero drew her in for a slow and gentle kiss.

A single tear fell from Elphaba's cheek as she broke the kiss, "What happens now?" she asked. She knew they could never be together.

Fiyero wiped the tear from her eye and replied, "I'm marrying you. As soon as possible."

"Yero...we can't be together. It would start a war. A marriage between the Vinkus and Munchkinland? There is no way that would end well." she avoided his gaze

Fiyero spoke softly, but intensely, "Or it could change the tides of Oz. This alliance would be unstoppable."

"The public will not have it. The people, _my_ people, would run me right out of office. It's my duty to serve the people of Munchkinland, as it is your duty to serve the people of the Vinkus. You of all people should know that."

"You're willing to sacrifice this?" Fiyero said, somewhat calmly.

She took a deep breath before replying, "I don't want someone to have to go through what we went through, Fiyero. What we went through was the worst situation imaginable. There is not a minute that goes by that I don't think about it or a night where I don't dream about what happened. I love you so much, Yero. But if us not being together means a safer Oz, yes, I'm willing to sacrifice this so no one ever has to go through that amount of torture ever again."

Fiyero was silent for several moments, "I really thought we were going to make it."

She felt her heart break in two at his words, and she started to cry, "Yeah, me too."

Fiyero lie there with her for a few moments, and after several minutes, he dressed, gathered his things, and before leaving the room to depart for the Vinkus, he said, "I love you Fae. I always will."

Elphaba only started to cry harder.

Fiyero left the room, to emotionally numb to feel anything.

He returned the following day to the Vinkus and was greeted by Glinda, "How was it?"

Fiyero remembered Elphaba, the passion they shared, and his last look at her before leaving and replied, "Fine."

He proceeded in without any further conversation.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

-Two years later-

The Vinkus was in another bout of economic depression. Ever since Fiyero was coronated as King, the country had seldom seen prosperous times and remained isolated from the rest of Oz. Because of this uncertainty of the country's future, Fiyero remained unmarried and engaged due to Gillikin's hesitation to pursue a relationship with a failing country with their own future seeming was ruling a country that didn't believe in him and he knew it all too well.

Fiyero spent his days in endless meetings and counselings that tried to revive the country, however most of them were just a waste of his time. He hadn't thought of Elphaba in months, however the blissful memories of their relationship sometimes wandered into his mind and he was taken away from the grim reality in front of him. However, Glinda was always there to bring him back to the present and Elphaba was soon pushed out of his mind.

Munchkinland, on the other hand, was known throughout Oz as being the most successful country in it's history. With Elphaba's leadership, the country saw economic prosperity and was in the midst of a Golden Age. Many people flocked to Munchkinland, bringing the ways of their origin countries and making Munchkinland more diverse and also boosting its economy. The people loved their leader, and Elphaba was grateful to be where she was.

Taj remained by her side, helping her through any bout of hardships that the country or she went through. When Fiyero left all those years ago, it took Elphaba several months to recover and Taj was with her through it all.

Elphaba was extremely proud of how far Munchkinland had grown, but she also admired how she'd grown herself, not only as a leader, but as a mother.

She realized she was pregnant several weeks after Fiyero had left. She felt shame, worry, and most of all, guilt from this unexpected turn of events. She didn't have the courage to tell Fiyero, so she kept it between herself and Taj until several months into her pregnancy.

The emotional side didn't get much easier. She announced the news to her people (neglecting who the father was), expecting rage and disapproval, however she was met with overwhelming support and excitement. The country anxiously awaited the arrival of Elphaba's child, while Elphaba herself felt the opposite. As her due date grew closer and closer, she had less and less desire to meet the child that would remind her so much of Fiyero.

However, as soon as she set eyes on Rao, her demeanor changed dramatically. He was so beautiful, and she cried tears of joy when she first held him. He wasn't green (much to her relief) and he was the perfect balance between his mother and father. Although this joy was unfathomable, Elphaba had a dilemma on her hands- Rao was now the illegitimate heir to the Vinkun Throne, and Fiyero had no knowledge of his existence. He spent the first two years of his life in the loving care of his mother and occasionally Taj, too young to even fathom the idea of a father.

Now, three years after Fiyero had left, Elphaba finally gained enough courage to face him, realizing the trouble the Vinkus was in. After all, the war wounds healed over the years between Munchkinland and the Vinkus, making the countries more likely to form treaties. So, Elphaba, Rao, and Taj boarded a carriage headed for the Vinkus, Elphaba praying for an easy way to break the news to Fiyero, but none came to her. The journey for Elphaba was rather quick, and before she knew it, she arrived at the all too familiar castle of Kiamo Ko. Taj and Rao stayed behind at their temporary residence while Elphaba stared at the large wooden doors. She took a deep breath, gathered herself, and headed inside to meet the father of her son.

Fiyero sat on the throne, staring at financial papers that made his head hurt. He was fairly lonely, Glinda was to remain in Gilikin until the Vinkus was stable enough for them to marry, which couldn't happen any time soon. You could hear a pin drop in the throne room, so when the doors opened, Fiyero's head shot up. When no one came through the doors, he called, "Who's there?"

Quietly, a womanly figure started through the door and the color of her skin gave him chills. It was Elphaba.

He stood in shock- this had to be a dream. He watched her walk all the way to the foot of the steps leading to the throne- a solid ten feet away. She looked phenomenal- the most beautiful version of Elphaba he'd ever seen. She was glowing, and he could not believe it. Her expression remained a cross between serious and confused.

He gathered a small amount of words, "Elphaba?"

She sighed and answered, "Hello, Fiyero."

His shocked expression remained, "What are you doing here?"

She hesitated, "Well, some things have changed over the years, and I would like to discuss some things with you. Do you have time for dinner? Or just some time to talk?"

He swallowed and tried to maintain his composure, "Is now a good time?"

Elphaba, surprised, replied, "Y-Yeah."

He motioned to follow her and they went outside to a familiar spot overlooking the grasslands. They sat, and Elphaba started, "So, how are you?"

He remained somewhat quiet, "I'm sure you've heard how the Vinkus is doing."

"No, Fiyero, how are _you_?"

Surprised again, he answered, "Not great. The country is bankrupt, Glinda went back home, my parents are off doing diplomatic affairs, and I'm here." he looked at her with a tired face, "How are you? How is Munchkinland?"

"I'm doing fine. A lot has changed," she spoke, thinking of her son, "But Munchkinland is still doing pretty well." She took a deep breath, "Listen, Fiyero, I wanted to tell you a few things."

Fiyero's face remained slightly concerned, and he had no idea what to expect. "I'm here to listen, Elphaba." he offered a small smile to her and her heart soared in relief. Fiyero was still there.

She took another breath, "I miss you every day, for starters. I can only imagine that you think of me from time to time as well." Fiyero's eyes grew wide from her surprising statement, and she went on, "It's interesting, because I came here expecting you to be married." She touched her head and said, "Oz, I don't know how to tell you, Fiyero."

Fiyero spoke up, "Are you alright? Are you sick, or in trouble?" he grew concerned thinking of the possible option of a fatal illness and he reached his hand on the table to touch hers.

She shook her head, "No, quite the opposite. It's great news, but it's just hard to say."

He took his hand away, "Are you married?" he asked quietly.

Elphaba winced at the thought, "Oz, Yero, no." She took one last breath before saying, "The last time we were together...we were _together._ Do you remember?"

He nodded his head remembering one of the fondest memories of his life.

"Well, I...I became pregnant soon after."

Fiyero's face turned a pale caramel color, and Elphaba went on,

"I had a child, Fiyero. Your child. Your son."

Fiyero didn't know how to respond. The woman of his life had his child- his _son._

Elphaba the lack of a reaction from Fiyero and started again, "I know that me showing up like this so much later wasn't a good idea, but I was so scared to see you again and I knew that you would've been married to Glinda by now and….Yero I'm so sorry I waited this long." he remained expressionless for a good silence. She felt the tears well in her eyes and said, "Please say something."

Elphaba watched as he met her gaze, "What is his name?" he asked, in a quiet voice.

"Rao." she swallowed, "I haven't decided on a last name." he avoided her gaze.

"Where is he?"

"With Taj. We're staying somewhere not too far from here." She looked down at her hands in disappointment.

He looked at her again, "Why did you come here, Elphaba? It's been two years. Two years of zero contact, and you just show up out of nowhere and tell me I have a son?" his tone was accusatory, and Elphaba bounced back,

"I wanted to tell you, Fiyero. I've wanted to tell you every moment of the last two years. I wasn't courageous enough to do it. I know that what I've done is unforgivable, but I'm asking for the sake of our son to please, give him a chance. Don't do it for me- do it for him."

He was silent for a moment, "Do you realize he is now the heir to the throne?"

Elphaba swallowed, "Yes."

He rubbed his head and sighed, "Oz, Elphaba. Just when I think you're gone you pop right back up again." He gave a small smile and she returned a chuckle, breaking some of the tension.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

He sat up and said, "Well, I would love to meet him." she smiled and said,

"I can bring him tomorrow morning." She stood to leave and he interjected,

"We have some things to talk about. Could you have dinner tomorrow, here?"

He stood and she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds fine." before she got to the door she turned to him and said, "Fiyero, I know this is a shell-shock, but I promise, it's going to be alright. I promise. This is all going to work out."

He smiled at her and said, "I know. I'll see you tomorrow, Elphaba." and with that, Elphaba left Fiyero in his own company, bombarded with too many thoughts to even begin with.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Fiyero didn't sleep. He didn't eat. He didn't even have the energy to drink alcohol. All he could do was think about the endless combinations of events that would or would not happen in the next few hours. He still loved Elphaba, even if he did seem distant and cold in their meeting, however the news of his son was so unexpected. What would he look like? Did he know about his father? Who was the father-figure in his life so far? These questions raced through his mind.

He watched as the sun rose over the grasslands. Elphaba was coming soon, and he tried his best to mentally prepare himself for the meeting ahead. He paced the entire castle, and eventually when the time came, went to the parlor where they'd agreed to meet. He paced there, too, until finally the door opened and Elphaba walked through holding a tiny hand. The tiny hand came through the door to the form of a small child.

Rao had light brown skin, that of his father and the brown eyes of his mother. Fiyero studied every inch of him with his eyes, his own heart racing as his son was presented in front of him. He had curly hair, Fiyero's nose, Elphaba's mouth, and when his eyes met his father, he smiled a cute grin that had Fiyero's heart in raptures.

"Fiyero, this is Rao." she turned to Rao and said, "Rao, this is your dad. Can you say hi?"

A cute voice popped out, "...Hi." and both parents grinned. Elphaba led Rao over to his father and noticed the blissful yet stressed look on his face, "You ok?" she said to Fiyero and he replied,

"I guess." he sat to Rao's level as Elphaba backed off, and said, "Hi, Rao." Rao, being shy at first, looked away from his father. After a moment, he hugged his father the best he could. Fiyero, gently hugged him back and couldn't resist the tears coming from his eyes. He dropped his head and when Elphaba saw this she came over to his side and said, "Yero, are you alright?"

Fiyero sniffled as he raised his head to reveal a sweet smile and he replied, "I haven't been this happy in a long time."

Elphaba turned away and wiped a tear from her own eye as she smiled, a great joy and relief filling her heart. The family sat with each other for several more hours as Fiyero got to know his son. As soon as Rao started yawning, Elphaba put him down for a nap and soon came back to the castle for dinner.

Fiyero prepared himself for the conversation they were to have, and Elphaba did the same. When she returned, the two were served and mostly ate in silence. After they finished, Fiyero spoke, "So, we should decide how this is going to work."

Elphaba nodded her head, "What did you have in mind?"

He sighed and said, "Well, I personally want him to come here. However, I know that would be unfair to you, and I am open to suggestions."

She took a moment and then spoke, "Fiyero, I've thought about this for a while now, and the only way that I see Rao having both parents is if we are together."

Fiyero rubbed his mouth and said, "Is that something you are willing to try?"

Surprised, she responded, "Well, you are engaged."

He spoke quickly, "Not officially anymore. Glinda and I are no longer engaged due to the financial state of the Vinkus."

Elphaba furrowed her brow, "Interesting." She sighed, "What would your parents say? Now that they are grandparents?"

He sighed, "Well, they love you already, despite the circumstances, and how could they refuse the heir to the throne?"

She was silent for a time, and she sighed, "This is quite a bizarre situation we have ourselves in, isn't it?" She met Fiyero's gaze and he replied,

"Yeah, it is- isn't it?"

"Fiyero, I think I need to be honest with you about how I feel about all of this. I…I love you and all, but it's been three years. So much has changed and I don't know how to move forward with all of this."

He looked at her and nodded, "Here's where I am- I love you, Fae. You having my child has only made that love grow. We've been through everything. These past few years have been hard, but in those moments when we were with each other, whether it be in prison, when you were with Glinda, or when I came to Munchkinland, my feelings have only grown for you." She looked away from him, "And I've always dreamed of having a family with you! Now look- we have one!" he beamed at her and she looked at him and gave a soft smile, "The universe keeps bringing us back together, and now we have a son who is so unbelievably perfect and I just can't help but think that this was all meant to be."

She sat in silence for a moment, contemplating Fiyero's moving words. She then said, "Can I be honest?"

He nodded his head, "I'd prefer it that way." And flashed a smile at her.

"This is just slightly freaking me out."

Fiyero responded, "What if we took it slower? I don't want to rush you or Rao into anything that would make you uncomfortable."

She sighed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Yero. Slow would be good." Elphaba looked at Fiyero and deep down, knew that this was the beginning of a long and happy relationship.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Once the King and Queen returned to the Vinkus, they were met with a different Fiyero than the one that had seen them last. He seemed rejuvenated and more optimistic than ever and they were perplexed when this excited Fiyero met them at their carriage when they came home.

Fiyero, on the other hand, disguised his nervousness as excitement. Elphaba and his son were back with Taj in their Vinkun residence and his parents had no idea about any of them still existing. He knew his parents would be furious with him when they found out, so he tried to brace himself for every possible outcome. He greeted his parents with extra enthusiasm, and decided to tell them when they met later that evening for dinner.

He sat nervously eating, until they were all finished and enjoying each other's company. Fiyero summoned his courage and started to speak, "Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."

Zale and Avva looked at each other with a furrowed brow and Zale said, "What is it, Fiyero?"

He took a deep breath, "A few days ago, Elphaba came to the Vinkus, unannounced." Their eyes grew wide with worry and he swallowed and continued, "I hadn't seen her since my visit to Munchkinland three years prior. She informed me that I have…I have a son. He's two."

His parent's faces grew wide with shock, "Yero…" his mother said, putting her hand over her mouth and she turned to her husband,

"Where is she now?" Zale asked,

"She's staying with him and her advisor a few miles away." He looked down at the table, slightly worried and ashamed.

"How do you know that it's your son? The last time you saw her-"

"We had sex the last time I saw her, around three years ago." His gaze was still on the table. "She hasn't been with anyone else."

"You, you cheated on Glinda? She's your fiancé!" Zale slightly shouted at him, "You are promised to her!"

"Actually, our engagement has been suspended due to the financial state of the Vinkus. I just received word a few days ago. As you know, Elphaba is the Governor of Munchkinland, the head position of the country."

Zale sighed a sigh of frustration, "Oz, Yero, if the Uplands find out-"

Fiyero looked at his father, "The Uplands are in a worse economic bout than we are. What would they do if they found out? They have no army, hardly any resources, and no other alliances." He told his father sternly.

His father went silent for a moment, acknowledging his son's accuracy. He sighed and after a few moments of silence he responded, "What's his name?"

Fiyero was silent for a few moments, "Rao."

Avva couldn't help but smile a small smile and Fiyero saw his mother's gleam of hope. He continued, "Elphaba and I have talked and she doesn't want to rush into anything, however she wants Rao to have both of his parents." He looked at his father and mother, "Look, Mom, Dad- I'm sorry. My actions three years ago were impulsive and wrong, but Rao is far from a mistake. This opportunity is more promising than anything else the Vinkus has seen in years. I get the woman of my life and a family- you two get to fulfil your duties as King and Queen Regent and provide for the country with a royal bloodline and an heir. Even though I never thought this would happen, we both win." He slowly began to smile at them, "Oz, you're grandparents! Isn't that something to look up to?"

Avva looked at Zale, and he shrugged at her with a tiny yet content smile. Avva looked back at her son and beamed, "Please, tell Elphaba that she can return any time she sees fit."

Fiyero smiled at his mother and saw his father's hidden look of optimism and felt an overwhelming joy at the thought of his optimistic future, ready to be with Elphaba and Rao forever.


	31. Chapter 31

Very close to finishing! It's really going to happen!

Chapter Thirty-One

Over the course of the next few days, Elphaba prepared to move back into Kiamo Ko. She and Rao were to have their own room down the hall from Fiyero's, and she was slowly making the transition back to the life she'd always thought she was going to live. Taj was placed in charge of Munchkinland during Elphaba's absence- that way she could solely focus on her family.

The day finally came when Elphaba and Rao were to arrive. Fiyero and his parents anxiously awaited the carriage. When it came into view, Fiyero's heart started to race, as well as Elphaba's as she watched the three figures waiting for them as they approached. When the carriage came to a stop, she took a deep breath and looked at Rao who was smiling blissfully, which in turn made her smile. She took him in her arms and exited the carriage.

The cool Vinkun air hit her face and the first face she saw was Fiyero's father. He looked at her with an optimistic smile and her heart was relieved. Fiyero quickly came to her side and escorted her into the castle to her room. When they arrived he closed the door behind him and greeted her, "Hey." He said.

"Hey, Yero." She replied, putting Rao down in his crib and then she turning to him, "How did things go with your parents?"

"Well, they were really against things at first, but now…" he looked at her and paused, "They're really glad you two are here. I know my dad wasn't the biggest fan of you coming, but he's really optimistic."

She smiled softly, "That's good." She paused as she looked at him, "How are you?"

He furrowed his brow, surprised, "Doing well." He smiled at her, "I'm glad you're here. I know this is really weird and that so much time has passed, but just know that…that I still feel the same way about you."

She smiled at him, "I believe you. It's just going to take some getting used to." She walked past him and before leaving the two alone she said, "Yero?"

He turned to her in the doorway, "Yeah, Fae?"

She looked down, "I'm very sorry that I kept him from you. It wasn't fair. I hope you can forgive me." They shared a moment of eye contact and he replied,

"It's all in the past now. You're here, he's here. That's all that matters to me now. Don't let it bother you any longer." She nodded and said a quiet,

"Thank you." Before leaving the room. When she closed the door, Fiyero couldn't help but smile. This was the beginning of a brand new journey- the woman of the life and his son were finally all in one place and he felt an overwhelming sense of gratefulness. He held his son and kissed the top of his head.

Elphaba left the room and headed to the balcony overseeing the grasslands. She remembered Kiamo Ko like the back of her hand, and she had no trouble finding wherever she needed to go. She stood as the cool, fall breeze hit her face and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was here, and a feeling of peace came over her. There were still so many questions, but for now her family was together and she was content with this.

She couldn't assess what her feelings for Fiyero were. She knew that she loved him- she was sure of it. However, the matter of the years that have passed that gave her a sense of uncertainty. After all this time, how could they just go back to normal? She still wasn't convinced that he felt the same way about her after the years.

She watched as the sun began to set and took a deep breath, trying to sort out the questions in her head.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a woman's voice said behind Elphaba.

She jumped, turned, and found it to be the Queen Regent, "Oh, Oz, you're majesty-"

"Elphaba, please. It's always been Avva to you."

She relaxed, "Sorry, Avva. You scared me, I thought I was alone. Forgive me."

She smiled at the green girl, "No worries." She sat at one of the small tables on the balcony and motion Elphaba to sit as well, "How are you doing?"

She sat and replied, "This is bizarre. I'm feeling so many emotions, but there is a certain peace with all of this."

She nodded, "And you and Yero?"

She hesitated, "It's…different. I'm not really sure where he stands. It's just been so long since we've been stable and I don't know how to move forward."

Avva took a breath, "Elphaba, sweetie, how do you feel about Yero?"

Elphaba was silent for several seconds and she could feel tears welling in her eyes, "Could I be honest and confide in you, Avva?"

"Of course, dear."

She breathed and the tears spilled over as she spoke, "I missed him so much. I've thought about him every day since he left- he's always been on my mind. He's been my life ever since I was taken from my father's house all those years ago." She smiled at the memories, "He's the light at the end of the tunnel. He's…he's my soulmate. And the universe keeps pulling us back together." She sighed, "And Rao," she began to cry harder, "Is so amazingly perfect." Avva's own tears spilled over at the passion in Elphaba's words, "He's the air in my lungs. He is the reason I live- the most important person and thing and idea in my life." She furrowed her brow and looked down in shame, "And I kept him away from Yero and you and Zale out of fear and guilt and shame and it has consumed me ever since I saw his perfect face. And I know that…is so unforgivable and I…Avva, I don't know what to do." She sobbed in front of the Queen Regent and Avva felt such compassion for this green girl.

She held her hand and replied through her own cries, "Oz, Elphaba, I know that this situation hasn't been ideal, but we love you and we love that little bundle of joy that you have. Zale and I are so happy that you're here." Elphaba looked up at Avva with a somewhat confused look, "And Fiyero has so much love for you. Ever since you left all those years ago, something in him has never been the same. And when he came to us about you, he was full again. You're the woman of his life."

Elphaba sniffled and gathered herself, "I'm so sorry about all of this."

Avva wiped her own tears, "We love you, Elphaba. You don't have to be sorry anymore."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

A few days passed and Elphaba and Rao began to settle in their new home. Rao began to familiarize himself with the castle, with his father's help, and his cries about his former home were soon gone.

After Elphaba's emotional talk with Avva, she and Fiyero began to grow as well. They always ate their meals together, we seen laughing together, reading in the library, and spending most of their hours with their son. They had not yet shared their true feelings of love towards each other, but they were taking baby steps and they were both content with that.

Zale and Avva were soon called to work in the Emerald City, and seeing that this was a good opportunity for the family to be alone, they quickly packed their bags and left for the start of a two-week absence.

Several days later, the family was seen relaxing in the library- Rao was slowly crawling around the floor and his parents were on the couch, Fiyero's arm around Elphaba as she leaned on his shoulder. After a few moments of comfortable silence, Elphaba spoke,

"I feel like he's twenty already." She smiled and Fiyero replied,

"Every time I look at him I feel like he's getting taller." She laughed lightly at his joke. After a few moments of silence, he continued, "I'm really glad you're here, Fae."

She smiled at him and replied, "I'm glad I'm here too, Yero." She looked at him and his expression became more serious, "Is everything ok?"

He sighed, "I have to leave for the Emerald City tomorrow."

She tensed, "What?"

He took his arm from her and turned to her, "My parents need me- I just found out today. I leave tonight and I'll be back in three days."

Fiyero tensed when he waited for her reply. Surprisingly she said, "Alright." And relaxed back on the couch, "Just be careful, Yero."

He was slightly shocked, "You're ok with it?"

"You're not the only one here who is a political and public figure. I've been gone for weeks before. It's part of the job, I understand." She got up from the couch and picked up a yawning Rao, "It's naptime anyway." She said as she smiled at him and left. He smiled back and laughed at himself when she was gone. Elphaba had changed in subtle ways and he didn't even notice until now. His love for her continued to grow and grow with each passing day.

That evening, Fiyero packed his bags for the Emerald City. Before loading the carriage, the parents stopped by Rao's room and Fiyero picked up and held his son, gently bouncing him and he said, "Daddy will be home very soon." He kissed the top of his head and said, "I love you, Rao." The boy gently giggled and his small laugh passed on to his parents as they smiled at each other.

Elphaba followed Fiyero outside to his waiting carriage. She watched as he loaded his bags into the back and before he boarded, he turned to her.

"I'll be back soon, I promise. Just three days." He stood in front of her and she replied,

"Have a good trip." As she smiled at him.

He smiled back and turned to board. After taking the first step onto the carriage, Elphaba said, "Wait!"

He got off and went to her, a concerned look on his face, "What is-"

She looked at him and pulled him in for a sweet and tender kiss that caught him by surprise. He didn't risk deepening it and she pulled away, and he looked at her in blissful shock.

She stepped back, blushed, and said, "Be safe, Yero."

He smiled at her and nodded and climbed onto the carriage. Before closing the door, he said, "Fae?"

"Yeah, Yero?"

"I love you."

She looked back at him and smiled, "Go. Come home soon." He flashed another smile at her and closed the carriage door and Elphaba watched as the carriage disappeared into the horizon.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Elphaba somewhat enjoyed Fiyero's absence. She missed him like crazy, but it was nice for her and Rao to spend quality time adjusting to their new home. She spent long hours with him outside, in the library, and exploring the various parts of the castle.

Two days into the three-day absence, Fiyero was soon relieved of his duties in the Emerald City and decided to come home later that night to surprise Elphaba. With his free time in the Emerald City, he was walking down in the shopping district and wandered into the most high-end jewelry store in Oz. After two hours, he came out later that afternoon with an engagement ring and smiled at the possibility of Elphaba marrying him. Surely, that's what she felt as well- he didn't think she would have dropped everything just to co-habituate with him.

So, he packed his belongings and the ring and headed back to the Vinkus to reunite with his family.

Elphaba decided to go to bed earlier than usual that night. She fell asleep rather quickly and feel into a dreamless sleep. Around one in the morning, Elphaba began to toss and turn, getting very warm. Soon enough, she heard a piercing cry that woke her immediately. Her eyes widened in panic at her surroundings- the room was smoking!

She shot out of bed, took Rao in her arms as quickly as possible, and started towards the door. As she grabbed the doorknob, she wrenched her hand back for it was extremely hot. She contemplated her options, and she took a deep breath, and opened the door, screaming in pain as she did so.

She was greeted with flames in both directions, and she started to panic. Rao continued to cry, and she went to the closest window to see if anyone was there. When she looked outside to the front lawn, she saw the majority of the staff and the fire squad attempting to put out the flames. She opened the second story window and heard gasps from all of the people on the ground.

"Please help! I have a child!" she held Rao to where they could see and the fire squad and staff began to scramble to assemble a makeshift ladder to aid the mother and son. Within a minute, they had created a platform that was twelve feet short of the window and Elphaba faced an impossible choice- does she give Rao to them or try and find a way out? She looked back at the flames that were creeping into the room from both sides and began to tear up- she knew what she had to do.

Fiyero rode in the carriage until late in the evening and started to approach the outskirts of the kingdom a few minutes past one in the morning. He began to drift in and out of a slumber when something caught his attention- there was an orange glowing in the dark horizon. His eyes widened and he told the driver to go as fast as he could.

When he arrived at the front lawn his jaw dropped and he sprinted out of the carriage. The entire castle was in flames. He looked around and the staff looked and noticed their king. One of them said, "Your Majesty, we don't know what happened-"

"Where is my family?!"

One of them swallowed and said, "Rao is being checked by the doctor."

He waited for another response, and grew concerned when there was no other news. "And Elphaba?!"

They looked at each other and said, "She managed to lower Rao down, but she's still inside-"

Fiyero didn't wait another second before sprinting into the castle. He was surrounded by flames and started to cough at the immense heat. He yelled, "Elphaba!" over and over and found no response. He panicked and started to roam the burning castle and found a clear staircase to the second floor. He continued to shout her name and began kicking in doors to every room he came across. His clothes began to singe and he became more frequently out of breath with every passing step.

He came to the middle of the second floor corridor when he heard a faint, "Yero…" nearby. His already pumping adrenaline came in ten-fold and he began calling her name again. He looked across a line of flames to see a figure lying on the ground and he bolted over to her, ignoring the searing pain on his legs.

He went to her side and picked her up without any hesitation and began the journey out of the castle. Wheezing and burning, he carried her out of the side doors and made his way to the front lawn where he collapsed on his knees and gently lie her down, his hand propping her up.

He coughed and yelled, "Doctor!" and examined her, "Fae…Fae look at me." He begged, and her eyes went to his.

She looked at him and coughed a painful cough, "Yero…" she whispered. She put her burned hand at his cheek and he caressed it and at this moment, with the castle burning in the background, the faint sound of Rao's cries, Fiyero himself began to cry as he held her hand.

The doctor soon came and informed Fiyero that Elphaba needed immediate hospital care and before he knew it, she was in a carriage to the nearby hospital. In a daze, Fiyero stood and was brought into reality with the thought of his son. He ran to the staff member who was holding him and gently took him into his arms.

Other than a slightly damaged blanket, Rao was untouched by the disaster that endangered his mother. Rao calmed down and held his father's finger and Fiyero only began to cry harder at the thought of raising this perfect human being without the other half of his heart.

He looked at the burning castle and then took his son, boarded a carriage, and headed for the hospital.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

With his son in one arm, he arrived at the hospital and made his way to the front desk. Panicked, he said, "I-I'm looking for Elphaba Thropp. She's around five-seven, dark hair,-"

"Green skin?"

Hesitantly, he nodded and the nurse replied,

"Are you family?"

Fiyero acted fast, "I'm her husband."

She continued as she looked at Elphaba's file, "She has a lot of soot in her lungs and a very bad burn on her hand, along with minor burns around her body. She's unconscious right now, but stable. Unfortunately, you cannot see her until the doctors gather more information. You can wait in the lobby and I will send someone out as soon as we find out more."

Shocked, he nodded and bounced Rao as he paced back and forth in the lobby. He paced for what seemed like hours and Rao eventually fell asleep from exhaustion on his father's shoulder. Several minutes after noticing, he sat down and let his thoughts run wild.

Several hours passed. Rao slept soundly and Fiyero remained wide awake in a cloud of his own thoughts until a familiar voice brought him back to reality, "Yero!" his head snapped up to find his mother and father rushing to his side.

"Mom, dad? What-what time is it? Why are you here?"

Avva replied, "It's ten in the morning. We got word of the fire very early this morning and came straight over." She looked around, "How is Elphaba? Is Rao ok?"

Fiyero answered, "Rao is fine. Elphaba…she's unconscious and has soot in her lungs and burns. They say she's stable but I haven't heard anything since I got here last night." Avva took Rao from Fiyero's tired hands and he dropped his head. The family was silent.

"Relatives of Elphaba Thropp?" Fiyero's head snapped up and signaled the doctor. He came over to the family.

"How is she?!" Fiyero said, desperately.

The doctor sighed, "Well, there was a lot of soot in her lungs. It's hard for her to breathe and speak right now, but it will slowly get better over time. The burn on her hand will require wrappings for a while as well, but the others should heal on their own."

"Can I see her?"

The doctor protested, "Sadly, the risk of infection is too high for her right now, and she is still unconscious. It will be several days before anyone can see her."

Fiyero's expression deepened, "I can't see her even if she wakes up?"

The doctor replied, "Sadly, no. I would recommend coming back in a weeks' time. I estimate she will be awake by then." And with that, the doctor turned and left. Fiyero went to his parents and they all agreed it was best to go home and assess the damage done to the castle.

Upon their return, they found most of their home in rubble and ruin. The only thing left standing was the surrounding wall that encompassed the newly created mound of the castle's remains. The staff and the family were redirected to the secondary castle, Blaise Castle, many miles deeper in the grasslands.

Blaise Castle was, in fact, bigger than Kiamo Ko and the family moved in with ease. It was more fortified and with the fear of another fire, the royal family assembled more of the Vinkun Military to help guard the family and its newest heir.

Later that night, Fiyero took his son to the balcony overlooking the grasslands and stared at the stars. He stood there for a while, thinking about the future, Rao's future, his parents, but mostly, he thought about Elphaba. He thought about her every moment that he was awake. He hated the negative thoughts- the ones where she was seriously injured, or worse, dead- sometimes he couldn't take them. They'd been through too much to not end up together.

His son yawned in his arms and Fiyero was brought back into reality. He couldn't help but smile at his perfection, took one last look at the stars, and retired.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

The week that followed the fire was the longest of Fiyero's life. He was constantly restless, always going to the hospital once or twice a day to see if Elphaba's condition had improved, and every time he was met with the same response- come back later or, no, she was still unconscious. He longed to see her more than anything. Just to see her emerald visage or the rise and fall of her chest- anything to prove that she was indeed alive- more so than the words of doctors.

At times of uncertainty he went to Rao. He was the real glue holding Fiyero and the rest of the family together. Some days he would cry and cry and cry for his mother. Fiyero spent hours with his son, playing with him, holding him, and showing him around his new home.

Other than spending time with his son, Fiyero spent time working. He sat in the throne room for hours on end, bombarded with his normal duties as well as the investigation of the possible arson of his former home. Much time would pass before Fiyero even noticed that day had turned into night, but he was somewhat thankful because it helped distract him from Elphaba.

When Fiyero returned to the hospital ten days after the fire, he was finally greeted with some news. The doctor approached him and said, "She's awake, fully conscious, and ready to go home."

Fiyero beamed and hugged the doctor out of pure joy. After setting the doctor down, he told Fiyero it wouldn't be too long before she was allowed to leave and invited him to wait in the empty lobby. He sat and waited, his heart pumping and his nerves on a whole new level. The wait felt like an eternity as he sat in a chair directly across from the door Elphaba was supposed to come out of. He held his head in his hands, the anxiety almost too much to bear. After what seemed like forever, his head snapped up at the sound of the door opening.

Elphaba.

At a quick glance, she looked tired, but Fiyero saw her beauty radiate from every fiber of her. She was glowing and when their eyes met, her brown depths lit up and Fiyero ran towards her and she to him. He hugged and held her as tightly as he could and he buried his face in her neck. She responded and never wanted to let go, and she cried when she finally realized he was in her arms.

They broke to look at each other and Elphaba wrapped her arms around his neck and they pressed their foreheads together and she sobbed as she said, "Yero, I love you so much, please…don't ever leave me again."

A wave of relief went over Fiyero and his heart broke for her. He looked at her and his own tears fell from his eyes and he pulled her in for a passionate kiss and replied, "I promise, Fae. Never, never, again."

She kissed him back and the two shared the most vulnerable moment in their long history together. They stayed together in the lobby for a while, holding each other, both of them silently vowing never to leave another's side ever again. When they did part from the hospital, they rode together, hands entwined in a comfortable silence back to Blaise, Elphaba leaning on Fiyero's shoulder. Elphaba soon broke the silence when they were on the road,

"How is Rao?" she asked, hoarsely.

Fiyero relaxed, "He's good. He misses you like crazy, but we're managing. And the doctors said he was completely untouched by the fire."

Elphaba sighed in relief, "Good. I was worried."

Fiyero kissed the top of her head and she smiled, "How are you feeling?"

She swallowed, "Not my best, but I'll get there."

"Take all the time that you need to recover, Fae. There is no rush."

She silently agreed, and after a time spoke up, "Yero, I meant what I said. I don't ever want to be apart from you ever again. I know I've been skeptical these past few weeks, but you're the love of my life and I…I almost didn't make it and I can't be without you."

Fiyero brought her in closer and she melted into his embrace, "You won't have to worry about that ever again." He kissed the top of her head and said, "I love you, Elphaba."

She replied, "I love you too, Yero." And the two remained in a comfortable silence for the remainder of the carriage ride.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

Elphaba woke from her day and a half slumber to the sun hitting her eyes from the uncovered parts of her window. She looked around and took note of where she was- the Vinkus, in her old room, and she looked to find Rao's crib sitting at the foot of her bed and she smiled. She gathered herself and got out of bed, stiffening at her soreness and she went out to find the rest of her family.

She carefully walked her way down the corridor and to the one of the many common rooms to find Fiyero holding Rao. When he saw Elphaba, he smiled at stood, saying, "Good morning, sunshine."

She smiled back at him and he went over to her and gave her a small kiss, "How are you feeling?"

She replied, "Very sore, but better than I was. My hand is starting to feel a lot better, too."

He said, "That's great, Fae. Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"

He replied, "No, I'm fine. I bet it's time for this bandage to come off, though. Would you mind giving me a hand?"

He put Rao down on the floor, gently, and helped Elphaba unwrap the bandage covering her hand. When her hand was completely free, both Fiyero and Elphaba noticed the strangeness that was there. The majority of her hand, the part that had been burned in the fire, was fully healed and with slight scarring, also brought something else. Elphaba's hand was, in fact, cream colored, like that of Taj's or Glinda's.

She looked at Fiyero in confusion and he found no words. However it happened, the fire burned her green pigment away and left a normal-looking pigment behind. Elphaba furrowed her brow and she felt an immense sadness come over her.

"Fae-"

"Fiyero," she said, interrupting him, "Are you seeing what I am seeing?"

He slowly nodded his head, and she looked at him, and back at her hand.

"My hand, my skin…it's normal."

Fiyero proceeded with caution, "Are you ok?"

Elphaba paused in thought, "I…I'm not sure. This has my mind going in a million different directions. How is this even possible?" she said, turning to him.

He shrugged and said, "I don't know. I can call a doctor and have him over in a few-"

She stopped him, "No, it's alright. I'm fine. Just…just don't worry about it." Elphaba finished, surprisingly calm. She turned to Rao and Fiyero watched as she remained very tranquil. He was worried; she seemed too calm for something of this caliber.

After several more quiet minutes Elphaba excused herself from her family and before she was out of the room, Fiyero asked, "Are you sure you're alright, Fae?"

She hesitated before replying, "I'm…I'm not sure. I just need to clear my head."

He looked at her with concern and nodded, adding, "I'm here if you need me." And with that, she left the room and he watched as she faded down the hallway, out of sight.

He turned to his son and sighed. He said, "If only I knew what was going through her head, buddy. Then we'd know so much."

Elphaba walked quickly down the hallway, covering the new skin on her hand from anyone passing by. Once she made it into a far off study, she uncovered it and took a closer look. Her skin was slightly tan, and not as pale as she remembered her sister's skin being. Every spot that the flames touched was no longer green. She was perplexed and dumbfounded for the first time in her life.

She walked further into the study and held her hand close to her body. She reached the back of the study and stopped dead in her tracks- there was a fire burning at the back wall. She looked as the flames danced and teased her. She looked down at her hand and back at the flames, feeling a sense of curiosity and wonder.

Then she took a deep breath, and stepped towards the flames.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The flames danced in Elphaba's eyes as she admired the heat. She contemplated the unthinkable- what if she were to burn herself? Could she bring herself to try and see if it would work again? She was unsure of how long she stood there, feeling the heat come from the whisking flames, but at some point, she felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched.

She turned to see Fiyero standing behind her, and his eyes showed great concern. They looked at each other before he said, "You're beautiful, Fae."

She looked at the floor at his compliment and he tilted her chin up and gave her a sweet kiss, "You don't have to do this to yourself." He replied, regarding her intentions. She sniffled as she gazed at the floor, and then looked up at Fiyero, tears spilling out of her eyes. She embraced him and he held her tight, as she quietly cried into his shoulder.

She whispered, "I'm so sorry, Yero."

He rubbed her back and said, "Don't apologize. Everything is going to be fine, Fae. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He held her for a while longer until her sniffles had subsided. When she broke from the embrace, she looked into his eyes and searched them. He furrowed his brow and she replied,

"I think we should talk, Yero."

His expression remained and he nodded as he started to lead her to the couch nearby. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked, concerned.

She took his hand, "I just think we should talk about the future. Like, what you want, what I want- that kind of thing."

He relaxed a little, "Well, what do you want? Do you want to go back to Munchkinland?"

She replied quickly, "Yes and no. I was their leader for a few years and I grew attached to them. However, here…we're all together. And these past weeks have been some of the happiest of my life." She was silent for a moment, and took his hand, "What do you want?"

He sighed, "Honestly, I don't want you to leave Fae. I love you, and we've been together for so long now. I…I want to marry you Fae. But, that's what I want. Your priorities are the most important to me. Whatever you want is fine with me."

He looked at the floor and rubbed the back of his head. She smiled at him and thought for a moment. Here was the love of her life, willing to let her and his son leave for her own happiness. She knew Fiyero would do anything for her and respect her wishes, and her heart swelled with love for him. He sat there, almost expecting a rejection of his 'ludicrous idea of marriage' and she took his hand. He looked up quickly and she was the one avoiding eye contact. She replied,

"Fiyero…" she said as she looked at him, "Do you remember when we were imprisoned and I asked you what you would do if you were freed?"

He looked at her and replied, "I said that I would marry you, Fae." He quoted, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Fae. I'd give everything if we were able to get out of here, together." And he smiled at her.

"Well, Yero, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Without a doubt."

Fiyero broke into a huge grin, "Fae, I know this a big decision and that you've been through a lot lately so it's alright if-"

"Fiyero," she said, cutting him off, "I love you so much. We've been through so much in our time together, and…" she smiled, looking away from him, "You saved me from so much and I can never repay you for it. I…I just don't want to be apart from you ever again."

The two smiled at each other and Fiyero's eyes got teary at the woman of his life sitting in front of him.

He responded, "I just want to let you know that I am still planning on proposing."

She furrowed her brow and smiled at him, a gentle confusion on her face, "Oh, are you?"

He nodded and sighed a sigh of content. He leaned closer to her and kissed her and she put her hand on his cheek and pulled him closer, smiling against his kiss. When they parted they rested their foreheads together and closed their eyes, thinking of the bright future ahead of them.


	38. Chapter 38

**Real talk- this is my favorite proposal that I've ever written. Almost done with this dang thing. On the last chapter right now, and it is slowly but surely being written! Leave a review if you enjoyed!**

Chapter Thirty-Eight

A week later, Fiyero walked into the nursery to find Elphaba and Rao. He stood in the doorway as he watched Elphaba rock Rao in her arms, humming a lullaby in his ear. Fiyero smiled at the pair as he watched in silence until Elphaba turned and saw Fiyero, and she smiled as she continued to soothe their son. Her smile melted Fiyero's heart and he had to contain himself as she put Rao in his crib. He ran a hand through his hair and looked down to floor as Elphaba turned to him. She said,

"What are you smirking about?"

He smiled harder and replied, "I just don't know what I did to deserve you." He looked up at her with a sweet look on his face.

Elphaba came closer to him and kept the smile on her face as she put her hand on his cheek and said, "I love you, Yero." She followed with a lingering kiss and he was like putty in her hands. When he snapped out of her trance, he took her hand and started leading her to the main study of the house. When he stopped and turned to her, he said, "Do you remember this room?"

Confused, she replied, "It's the study, Yero."

He continued, "This is the study where we saw each other after we were separated at the prison." Elphaba's face changed at the realization, "You were lost and looking for Glinda and I remember the second I heard your voice…Oz," he said, remembering the moment, "I thought I was dreaming." He sighed as he paused and looked at her, "Come on, I have something to show you." He offered his hand and she took it, silently agreeing to follow.

He led her to the back of the castle that looked over the grasslands. As the sun set, Elphaba looked at Fiyero and said, "What's gotten into you?"

He smiled at her and said, "You, Fae." She smiled at him with a curious look on her face. Fiyero took a deep breath and took her left hand as he bent to one knee.

Elphaba covered her mouth with her right hand and her eyes widened to Fiyero's stance. She said, "Yero, w-w-what are you-"

"Fae, I love you and I can't live without you. I know that this is really overdue and when I first realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you I planned to do this much, much sooner, but you know, things got in the way." Elphaba laughed at his reference as the tears in her eyes started to spill over, "You're everything to me and I know that we haven't had the easiest time, but the universe keeps pulling us together and I…" his voice started to shake as tears of his own started to surface, and fall down his cheeks, "I was broken until you came into my life and you…you put me back together." He smiled through his tears and Elphaba proceeded to cry harder, "I can't _be_ without you Fae, and I hope that I can give you everything that you've given me and then some." He took the velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing the ring he'd kept for months, "Elphaba, will you marry me?"

Elphaba responded quickly by nodding her head, almost unable to speak until she said an almost inaudible, "Yes" as Fiyero put the ring on her pale, ring finger and she bent down to his level to embrace him and bring him as close as she could to her. He responded by holding her tightly, breathing in her scent and smiling through all the tears he was crying.

She pulled from him to look at his visage, and she smiled through her teary vision as she wiped the tears from his face. She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him deeply as she could. Fiyero deepened the kiss and the two broke several moments later and rested their foreheads together, the both of them lightly sniffling.

"Everything we've been through, all the pain and suffering and separation and doubt, I would go through all of it again in a heartbeat for you, Yero. You are my everything, my soul mate, and now we get to spend the rest of forever together." Elphaba said, beaming through her tears.

Fiyero kissed her forehead and said, "The rest of forever, together. I like that."

"I love you, Yero my hero."

He sighed and kissed her again, and helped her up. They entwined their hands together as they went back inside of the castle, both of them more in love with each other than ever before.


	39. Chapter 39

A short lil chap before the last one. Can you believe it?

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Oz roared in favor at the announcement of Fiyero and Elphaba's engagement. At long last, the long feud between Munchkinland and the Vinkus was over and all of Oz entered into an era of peace.

Fiyero and Elphaba began the wedding preparations and were now found sitting around the dining room table, Elphaba patiently going through every option for announcements, flowers, venues, etc. with her reading glasses on and a concentrated stare on her face. Fiyero, too, had the same amount of papers to look through but the only thing that held his attention was Elphaba. He watched as she went through her pile of documents and, again, realized how much he didn't deserve her.

Elphaba looked up to find her fiancé watching her and she furrowed her brow with a confused face, "Is everything alright, Yero?"

He snapped out of his trance and replied, "Yeah…I-I just don't really care about this stuff, Fae. I don't care where we get married, you know? I don't care about flowers, or cake, or the minister."

She sighed, "I know, Yero. But we're technically royalty. This is the way it has to be."

He replied quickly, "I've just wanted to marry you for so long, and now…this process feels like it's going to take a lifetime and all I want is for us to be together."

She looked at him with a slightly annoyed look and he went back to his papers saying, "This sucks."

She too went back to her papers and smiled as she said, "The wait will be worth it, I hope." She looked up to his surprised face and smiled a sweet smile at him and he replied,

"I love you, you know."

"You're an idiot, Yero." She said as she laughed, and he laughed with a mischievous smirk on his face. He leaned in and kissed her, which she graciously returned before breaking and the two returned to their work in front of them. They worked for a long time, broke for dinner, spent time with their son and Fiyero's parents, and eventually were set to retire. As the couple gently closed the door to Rao's room, Fiyero and Elphaba started towards Fiyero's room.

The two got ready for bed, and as Fiyero was dressing in his pajamas, Elphaba was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. He went to the doorframe and leaned on it, and looked at his fiancé. Elphaba looked up to see him, shirtless, in the mirror and said, "You've been looking at me a lot today, Yero." As she tried to hide her blushing from him.

He smiled and looked at the floor before saying, "Do you want to have another kid, Fae?"

She stopped brushing and looked at him and waited before saying, "Do you want to talk about this now?"

He hesitated and said, "I mean, I was just wondering. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

She rinsed her mouth and turned to him, passing by him to get back into the room, "Well, do you want another kid, Yero?"

He replied, "I want whatever you want, Fae. I was only inquiring, that's all."

She went to him and sighed, placing her hands on his bare chest, looking at all the scars that graced his body, "Yero…"

"Fae, it's fine. It's a little sudden for me to be asking that anyway. It can-"

"You know, after I took my bindings off my hand and had that whole little episode, you said that you wanted whatever I wanted. You even said that if I wanted to go back with Munchkinland, that you'd be fine with it, even if it meant never seeing me again."

He looked at her and said, "I did say that."

She smiled at him and replied, "Yero, I want what you want, you know. You've given so much to me and I want you to be happy."

He tried to interject, "Fae, its fine, really-" he said, trying to pull away from her.

She pulled him closer and put her hands around his neck "And you, Yero my hero, are the most phenomenal father on the planet and Rao and his brothers and sisters are going to be so lucky to have a dad like you." She smiled at him and he beamed at her while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Every day I think I can't fall more in love with you, and every day you find some way to top yourself." She laughed and kissed him, which he returned. He swept her up in his arms and the two retired together.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

Fiyero woke on his wedding day as the rising sun hit his eyes through his window. He squinted, and turned to find an empty bed, realizing that Elphaba did not spend the night with him like she always did, due to the age-old tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding. He groaned at the thought of being away from her, but then he realized that the wait would be far worth it.

He got up and as he was putting a shirt on, his mother came through his door, "I'm surprised you're awake, Yero." Avva said, opening the blinds as she past him.

"Good morning to you too, mom." He replied, "Is Elphaba awake?"

Avva turned back to him and replied, "Yes, she's been up for an hour or so. She's nervous, but so excited Yero." Fiyero beamed at her and turned as he tried to hide his blushing. Avva saw through him and walked towards him, "How are you feeling?"

He sighed a sigh of happiness, "What can I say? I'm about to marry the woman of my life with my family beside me. It can't get much better than this."

Avva smiled at him and finished, "Well, start getting ready. Your father will be in shortly to check on you."

He kissed his mother on the cheek and watched as she went out of his room. Avva turned and went down the corridor to find Elphaba in her room with a robe on and a towel around her head. She went to the green woman and said, "How are you doing, Elphaba?"

Elphaba looked at the queen with her brown depths and tears started to well in her eyes. Avva reacted by sitting her down on the bed and asked, "What's wrong sweetie?"

Elphaba broke down and cried, Avva rubbing her back and trying to calm her down. After a moment, she collected herself and said, "I just don't feel like I deserve this, Avva. You, Zale, Rao…least of all Fiyero. He's been with me through so much and every time that I thought he would go, he's always been there and helped me and loved me-through it all. I never thought I would ever love someone to the capacity that I love him, and the fact that he loves me back- it just overwhelms me and…I just don't deserve him at all."

Avva turned to her and replied, "Elphaba, you are so deserving of this. Fiyero loves you so much, and he cannot wait to spend the rest of his life with you. I've never seen anyone love someone so much."

She looked at Avva and gave a small smile, and Avva proceded with, "Let's get you dressed. You're getting married today!" Elphaba laughed and the two went and prepped Elphaba for her wedding.

Fiyero got dressed in his tuxedo and was fixing his tie when his father entered, "Hey, Yero." Zale said.

Fiyero looked at his father and hugged him, "Hey dad." Zale broke the hug and looked at his son, asking,

"How do you feel?"

Fiyero responded, "I've been waiting for this day for the last five years. And, I would've waited fifty more for it, if it had come to that." He smiled at his father and saw his mother come into his room, unexpectedly. Avva walked quickly to him and said, "Yero, would you mind speaking to Elphaba for a moment? She seems to be getting a little nervous."

"Is she alright?" Fiyero grew worried.

"She's fine deary, just come and talk with her." He followed his mother out of his room and stopped,

"Aren't we not supposed to see each other before-?"

Avva interrupted him and said, "No one said anything about seeing her. You're just going to speak to her. I did the same with your father." Avva winked at him and they were soon at Elphaba's room. Avva left them alone and they stood on separate sides of the wall and Fiyero spoke first, "Hey, Fae. Is everything alright?"

Her voice was shaky as she replied, "I-I just don't know if I'm enough for you, Yero. For this."

Fiyero resisted the unbearable urge to turn around the wall and tell her how much he loved her, but he knew she would never forgive him if he did, so he resisted and said, "Fae, I don't think you know how incredibly enough you are. You are the strongest person I've ever met in my entire life and I know this is scary and nerve-wracking but I love you so much more than I could possibly tell you and I'll be with you the whole way through this. And in a few hours, we'll be married and we'll be a family forever, Fae."

Elphaba was silent.

Fiyero quickly spoke, "But if you don't want to do this, then we can wait."

"Yero-"

"We could wait a few more months or a year or Oz, fifty years, because I would wait forever for you, Elphaba." Fiyero clutched the wall with his hand, wanting to take her in his arms and carry her away, and yet, he resisted his unbearable urge.

"Yero, you've waited long enough. I love you, and we have Rao, and I know after this we'll have what we've wanted since the beginning." She sighed and said, "Go, Yero my hero. I'll see you at the altar."

He could feel her smiling on the other side of the wall and he beamed at her, "I love you, Fae," he said as he bid her farewell until they were to meet again.

So, Fiyero returned to his room and he impatiently waited until the ceremony was to start. It would take place on the balcony of Blaise Castle, with thousands upon thousands of people standing in the courtyard as all of Oz watched the two countries finally came to peace. The hours until the wedding passed slowly for the bride and groom, and as the sun was close to setting, it was finally time.

Fiyero gathered himself and walked to the end of the altar, as he stood there, looking out into the crowds of people so joyously awaiting his union. After a few moments, the crowds quieted and everyone took their seats as the procession began. One by one, officials of both Munchkinland and the Vinkus were seated and the minister came forward. Fiyero's mother came down the aisle and soon enough, the crowd began to stand for the procession of the bride.

Before the wedding, Elphaba stood behind the doors of the courtyard as officials and politicians began being seated. Her nerves were insurmountable as Avva and Zale entered her dressing room.

"How are you feeling, Elphaba?" Avva asked, taking her hands.

Elphaba gave a nervous smile, "I don't think I've ever been this nervous." She said, as she laughed at herself, "But I've been waiting for this for so long- I can't wait."

Zale stepped forward with a velvet box in his hands and said, "Elphaba, we just wanted to be the first to say, welcome to the family." He opened the box to reveal a tiara with diamonds encrusted throughout, and Elphaba had to contain the tears that were welling in her eyes as she hugged both of her future in-laws. Avva put the tiara on Elphaba's head and said, "This tiara has been passed down from generations of Vinkun Queens. I wore it on my wedding day, and so has every other queen on her wedding day."

Elphaba was taken aback, "It's beautiful."

Zale piped in, "Elphaba, I know this isn't very traditional, but I would like to ask if I would have the honor and privilege of escorting you down the aisle."

Elphaba's tears brimmed over as she tightly embraced Zale, as he accepted the hug. Elphaba broke the hug and said, "Thank you, Zale. I didn't have much of a father growing up, and this…this is more than I ever could've asked for." She swallowed her tears and whispered, "Thank you."

"We've always wondered why we weren't blessed with a daughter, but know we know that we were just waiting for you." He said. He extended his arm to Elphaba and said, "It's time. Let's get you married!"

Elphaba grinned as she accepted his arm. They walked until they were behind the doors and waited until those doors opened, and Elphaba and Zale began their walk down the aisle.

Elphaba kept her head down for the first few steps until she looked up to find herself surrounded by the invited officials. She almost panicked, but her eyes went to the end of the aisle to find her blue-eyed Fiyero at the end of it.

Fiyero's head snapped at attention when everyone stood for the procession of the bride. The doors opened, and Elphaba stepped through, escorted by Zale. His knees almost gave out to the sight of her- she looked more beautiful than Fiyero's mind could've ever imagined. She was timid to look at him, but when her eyes finally locked with his, Fiyero felt tears spring out of his eyes as he beamed at her, almost in disbelief of her beauty.

Elphaba saw Fiyero's tears slip down his cheeks and she couldn't help but smile a teary smile herself. After all their trials, they were finally here, finally able to have what the two of them had always wanted.

She reached the altar and separated from Zale. She and Fiyero joined hands and Fiyero whispered to her, "Fae, you are absolutely breathtaking," he said, trying to keep his composure.

"I can't believe this is actually happening, Yero," she said in response. Fiyero beamed at her as the minister started the ceremony. He began, however Fiyero and Elphaba were too consumed with how each other looked and they couldn't believe the fact that the day had finally come- they were getting married.

Before they knew it, the minister nudged Fiyero to signal him that it was time to recite his written vows. Fiyero looked at Elphaba's hands and began, "Elphaba, Fae...I never thought in a million years I would ever marry someone as amazing and unbelievable as you. You are caring, kind, witty, compassionate…everything that I wasn't before I met you. My life was in shambles, and the funny thing is, being imprisoned was the absolute best thing that ever happened to me, because I met you." His voice began to shake with tears as he continued,

"You cared about me when I couldn't care about myself. "and after this his tears spilled over, "You gave my life meaning when I had none, and now I don't even want to fathom a world without you in it. Sometimes I think that I can't fall more in love with you, and then you smile or say something that melts my heart and you continuously prove me wrong." He looked up at her and smiled at her, while Elphaba formed her own tears.

"I promise to never stop loving you, forever Fae. You and Rao are everything to me and I swear to you that you'll never have to feel uncertainty or unsafe ever again. If you ever doubt whether or not you're beautiful, I'll be here to reassure you that you are the most breathtaking person on the planet. If you ever need anything, I'll always be there to provide for you because I can never repay you for the blessings of love and family that you have given me, and I can never repay you enough for that." Elphaba's sobs broke over as she leaned in closer to Fiyero, while Fiyero wept as he supported his fiancée. Sniffles and crying could be heard throughout the crowd, and Oz knew how much Elphaba and Fiyero loved each other. Zale and Avva watched their son and future daughter-in-law with red faces and wet cheeks.

Fiyero finished, "I love you with everything I have, Elphaba. And I promise to love you forever, Fae." He smiled through his tears at her and she returned the teary smile. She took a shaky breath and started her own vows,

"Oz, Yero. I've put you through so much in the last few years, and sometimes it keeps me up at night. I regret not telling you everything you deserved to know, how I felt at times…there are so many moments that I wish I could take back, because of my cowardice. You speak of what enormous love I've given you, when really it is you who's given me the amazing love of a best friend and a soulmate, and there are no words to describe to you how much I don't deserve it.

When I first met you, I figured you only showed interest in me because I was the only person you were constantly surrounded by. I never imagined in a million years that you would grow to show me the incredible love that you do today. You gave me a family that loves me like mine never did. I didn't know what love was until I met you.

I never liked who I was or what I looked like. I've always been hated and despised for the color of my skin and for years my insecurities grew out of control." She smiled before continuing, "But then I ran into you, and one of the first things you said to me was 'you are the most beautiful person I've ever met.' No one had ever said anything like that to me, and at first I thought it was too good to be true, but then you kept affirming what I refused to believe. In that prison, I fell in love with you and wanted nothing more than to be with you forever. We would always talk about what we would do if we were freed, and all I wanted was you.

Ever since I met you, I felt as though I didn't deserve you. I can never give you what you've given me, Yero my hero. You are my best friend, my soulmate, and the father of my child. You fill my life with love and compassion with every waking moment and this is a life is so grand with you, that often times I wake up and think that it was all a dream. But then I realize I'm in your arms and I can't help but feel so grateful that you and I found each other.

I promise to love you every day, forever. I promise that I'll always be here for you, that I'll give you everything I have and more to try and match the amount of unending love that you've given me. You are the light at the end of the tunnel, my sun, moon, and stars, my better half. I love you so much, Fiyero." She concluded as Fiyero ignored his own tears and wiped hers away with his thumb, gently.

The crowd was so silent, besides the occasional sniffle, you could hear a pin drop. Even the minister was so overcome with the amount of love Fiyero and Elphaba shared that he almost forgot to carry on with the ceremony. Fiyero and Elphaba felt as though they were in their own little world, with no one else surrounding them.

Soon enough, the minister wiped his own tears and came out of his trance and the couple exchanged rings. Elphaba put his ring on first, and after Fiyero put the ring on Elphaba's scarred hand, he kissed it before letting go. The minister said his closing remarks and ended with, "I know pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride!" and all of Oz roared in favor as Elphaba wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and the two shared a passionate, love-filled kiss in front of the entire country. When they broke they rested their foreheads against each other and couldn't stop smiling. The walked back down the aisle as the standing guests cheered for them.

They reached Elphaba's dressing room and as soon as the door closed, Fiyero kissed his wife much deeper this time, and she responded by bringing him in closer. His hands surrounded her waist and she wound her arms around his neck. When they broke, he said, "I love you, Fae."

She kissed him sweetly, "I love you too, Yero. Thank you for marrying me."

He chuckled at her modestly and kissed her again. He continued, "Is this even real? Did that really just happen?"

She blushed at him and replied, "I'm a bit in disbelief as well." She sighed, "How did I get this lucky?" Fiyero kissed her again and broke away when his parents came into the room, Zale carrying Rao in his arms.

"Congrats!" Avva said, hugging both of them. "I don't know a more deserving couple than you two. That was the most emotional ceremony the Vinkus has ever seen. There wasn't a dry eye in the house."

Zale came forward and said, "We're so happy for you two. You deserve each other!" he said as he hugged the two. The parents focused their attention on Rao as Elphaba took him from Zale's arms. They both hugged him and kissed him, both Fiyero and Elphaba still relishing in the disbelief of their new marriage.

Before long, the Zale and Avva left with Rao and Elphaba and Fiyero stayed in each other's company for a little while longer before heading to the reception. It was a populated event, with every official from almost every province in Oz in attendance. Fiyero and Elphaba were soon separated as they were instructed to greet their guests, and they were often seen trying to slip away to find each other, however, they were unsuccessful and spent almost all of the wedding reception apart.

Finally, when all the guests were greeted, Fiyero found Elphaba stuck in a conversation with an older man that she had clearly been talking to for a while. Fiyero saw this and grabbed her hand, escorting her to the dance floor as the music turned into a slow waltz. He took her into a stance and the two began dancing.

"I was beginning to think I'd go this whole reception without seeing you." Elphaba began.

Fiyero chuckled and kissed her forehead, "I'm glad that part's over." Elphaba soon rested her head on his chest as they danced in silence for several moments, savoring their quiet company.

"Fae?"

"Yes, Yero?"

"Do you regret leaving when you did? Is that what you meant in your vows?"

She sighed and looked back up at him, "Yes, I do. If I hadn't left, then maybe we would've gotten married a long time ago and I wouldn't have kept Rao a secret for two years. It's all my-"

"No, Fae. Don't think that." She looked down at him, and he tilted her chin up to meet her eyes, "That moment in there, was the greatest moment in my pathetic little life. Without all that we've been through…it wouldn't have been what it was, you know?"

She kissed him, and he smiled against her lips, "What did I do to deserve you?" she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

He smiled as he continued to dance with his wife, thinking the exact same thing.

The End

 **Thanks to everyone who stuck with this! What a story. Until next time, friends.**


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